Of Mice Of Men
by CrimsonFlash
Summary: This is Itachi's side of the story. It all started when he was placed on the same team as Uzumaki Riku, the daughter of the Fourth Hokage. Sequel to A New Discovery. Contains a few spoilers. Now complete!
1. Chapter 1: Uchiha Itachi

This is my sequel to _A New Discovery_, It's a bit more upbeat than the last one, I think. The main characters are mainly Uchiha Itachi and my OC, Uzumaki Riku. Pairings? Well, you'll find out.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 1: Uchiha Itachi

Itachi wasn't your average Genin. In fact, he was far from average. He was born into the noble clan of Uchiha, a very prestigious clan. Even among his clan he was considered a prodigy. He hoped to keep it that way.

The only person standing in his way was Uzumaki Riku, the daughter to the fourth. Of course, he was a better than her. Part of him was glad to have found a rival, the other par was irritated.

"Did you hear? Riku-chan passed the graduation test on her first try and she was only enrolled for less than a year!" That irritated Itachi. _He_ use to be the talk of the town until the fourth started bringing in _strays_.

There was no better word for Riku. She had appeared out of nowhere and the fourth had taken her in. This morning had been the shock of his life. "Team 4. Uchiha Shuishi, Uzumaki Riku…" Shisui cheered. It was obvious that Itachi's bestfriend had a crush on Riku. Most of the boys did. Too bad for them, she was completely oblivious to their feelings. "… and Uchiha Itachi."

"What!? How come Riku gets to be with Itachi-kun!?" Some of the girls hissed. Itachi was the village heart throb. Of course the girls would complain if someone threatened their quest to get his heart.

"It's not like I asked." Itachi heard Riku mutter. Riku was relatively close to him due to the fact that next to Shisui was the only open place.

"Because the fourth is the one who made the team." The teacher replied. Everyone was surprised.

"Whatever." Riku replied, not really caring at the moment.

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"Alright, then. Introductions?" Their Jônin instructor asked. "I'll start. My name is Uchiha Haruka. I like training students. I hate it when my students don't show respect. My dream is to retire at an old age. My hobbies are training." She looked the three of them over. "Your next, Riku-chan."

"I am Uzumaki Riku. I like nothing. I hate everything. My dreams for the future don't involve you, so it's not any of your business. And what I do does not concern you." She was just being stubborn. Haruka frowned.

"Next." She said.

"I'm Uchiha Shisui. I like women. I don't like men…" As Shisui's best friend, he knew that this wasn't true at all. "My dream is to get a certain woman to fall in love with me and become the next Hokage. My hobbies are talking to women, I guess."

"Interesting. Next."

"I'm Uchiha Itachi. I like training and studying. I hate it when I'm ignored. My dream is to become a great role model for my little brother. My hobbies are, well, training and studying." He hated studying, but if word got back to his parents… well, let's just say he would be in trouble.

"Excellent, Itachi-kun!" Haruka commended. Great, now he was the teacher's favorite… "Well, meet in the training grounds tomorrow morning for our first mission – Survival training."

"But, we've been doing survival training since we joined the academy." Shisui complained.

"That was a different kind of training." Haruka replied. "This time, you're surviving against an elite ninja – Me."

"Figures." Riku replied, calmly.

Haruka frowned at the interruption. "I suggest you don't eat, or you'll throw up."

"What's the success rate?" Riku asked.

"I'm afraid if I tell, it will scare you off."

"Don't worry, it won't." Riku replied.

"There's a 66 chance… of _failure_."

Shisui paled, but Riku smirked. "How interesting, only 1/3 of the Genin are going to pass."

"Great," Itachi said sarcastically.


	2. Chapter 2: Survival Training

Okay, just so you know Haruka is indeed a female name, but I'm thinking of changing her into a him. What do you think? Of course, I'd change these chapters, too, but I'd like to have some opinions, or I'll keep it the same.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 2: Survival Training

All four of them were there on schedule. Shuishi looked dead on his feet while Riku looked ready to kill something. "Alright, then! Those who get these bells pass, the loser gets tied to the post and gets no lunch. In fact, I'll be eating my lunch in front of you." Haruka said. _So that's why she told us not to eat…_ All three of them thought at once. "You must strike at me like you mean to kill, or you'll never get one of these bells. You have until noon. Ready…set…go!"

Itachi and Shisui went to hide in one direction, while Riku went in another. "What's she doing?" Shisui hissed.

"How the hell am I suppose to know?!" Itachi responded.

Haruka chuckled, "I suppose I should go after Riku-chan first." _Since she's such a mystery I think I should get to know her better._ Haruka thought as she went to follow Riku.

"Crap! She's going after Riku-chan!" Shisui swore. He got up out of hiding and followed that Haruka went.

Itachi sighed. Shisui was a really good fighter, but being with Riku would only distract him. _I better watch out for him…_ Itachi thought and followed. He didn't know why his best friend was in love with Riku. Nor did he know what his friend saw in her. But he was still his friend so he felt that he had to help him.

All of a sudden there was a huge explosion that knocked both of them backwards. They both looked at each other and raced to find out what happened.

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Riku

She had set up the traps. Of course she knew that no true Jônin could be caught easily, but it was worth a shot. She just hoped that the other two wouldn't' decide to come after her. She had left a deliberate trail, just as Nami had taught her in ambushing a foe. _Now to remain out of sight…_ She chose her spot to hide in wait.

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Haruka

She had left an obvious trail. Was she planning something? Haruka hoped so. She wanted to test this girl. After all, she was the daughter of a Hokage and his wife, genius medical ninja, whose teacher was also famous. Riku had to be good.

She saw a flash of something up ahead; she picked up her pace to catch up to it. That's when she fell into the trap. The whole area was set up with wires and explosion tags! It was impossible not to land on a branch without it exploding on him.

Haruka had thought she had caught up to her, yet she was the one who circled back to make sure that she was following her and to lure her into the trap. Only when she got a good look at the traps did she notice that Riku made them so that they could kill anything that fell into them.

There was a sudden burst of flames that burned down the trees in front of her and the one underneath her exploded as well, sending her towards the ground. A web of wires caught her and trapped her.

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Riku

She stepped out of hiding. "I didn't think that would catch you, Haruka-sensei. She said as she turned around to face Haruka. "Call it a test of my own." The Haruka that was caught in the wire net puffed and the net was left empty.

"Those traps were well set for a Genin. I'll give you that much." Haruka said.

"Flattery won't get you anywheres."

"And you distracted me while the other two got the bells, an excellent show of teamwork."

"Of course. Why else were we separated into teams if not for teamwork?"

"_Alright, here's the plan." Riku said. "I'll distract her to the best of my abilities… here." She pointed to a spot on the diagram. "While you two come up from here." She drew a line from one spot, leading it towards the other spot on the diagram. "Any questions?"_

"_OK!" Shisui agreed._

"_What makes you think that we're going to be able to trust you?"_

"_No offense, but I seem like the fastest out of the three of us. I'm the only one who can set up traps that fast. Besides, I don't really care what happens to me. I've survived days without food, so food is not a problem for me. As for graduation… well, let's just say, I only agreed to go this far by my father's insistence. Besides, I'm guessing that teamwork is the name of this game. Kakashi-sempai stresses teamwork, so my guess is that is the only way any of us can pass this test."_

"_Fair enough. I'll believe you for now." Itachi replied._

"Ha ha ha ha!" Haruka laughed, brushing some soot from her face. "Congratulations! You all passed!"

"Huh?" Shisui asked.

"Riku-chan guessed correctly. The object of this mission was teamwork and all three of you passed." Haruka replied. "We'll meet here for our first official mission tomarrow."

"Yes, Ma'am!"


	3. Chapter 3: Hatake Kakashi

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 3: Hatake Kakashi

_Interesting kid… I'll have to ask Kakashi-kun not to tell her the objective before hand, though._ Haruka thought, thinking back on the survival training. When Haruka found Kakashi, he was reading his Make Out Paradise book, too. "Aren't you a bit _young_ for that? You're only fourteen." Haruka asked.

"Jiraya-san was the one who told me to read the book and I found it interesting.

"That doesn't make it right, though." Haruka commented.

"I take it that my hobbies aren't the reason why you're here."

"No, it's not that. Riku passed the test with flying colors."

Kakashi put the book down and seemingly smiled. "That's good!"

"Not quite. Apparently you told her the word "teamwork" one too many times."

"Ha ha hah! No, not really. I haven't seen her since Thursday, which is five days ago."

_She figured it out on her own using information she'd learned over her time with people. She by far surpasses Itachi and me in learning capabilities. Just like her father before her, she's a genious, just like Kakashi-kun._ Haruka thought

"Something I say surprise you?" he asked.

"Just who _is_ Riku?" Haruka asked.

"Riku is Riku." He said, laughing.

_He obviously cares about her a lot. _Haruka smiled.

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Itachi

His parents both greeted him by the door. "Well?"

""Well" what?"

"Did you pass?" His father, Fugaku, asked.

"Who are your teammates?" His mother, Mikoto, asked. "Who's the teacher?"

"Yes, we passed." He took off his shoes and walked toward the living room. "The teacher's name is Uchiha Haruka and my team mates are Uchiha Shisui and Uzumaki Riku." They had seemed happy when he mentioned Shisui, but looked stricken at the moment he mentioned Riku.

"Some thing wrong?" Itachi asked. He didn't like Riku that much, but why wouldn't his parents? The other people thought it was natural that the "genius" ninja were placed together, so why didn't they think that?

The "look" disappeared as if it had never been there. "Uchiha Haruka never passed anyone before, I think it's great!" Mikoto said cheerfully, but the unease was evident.

"Let's celebrate!" Fugaku said with a smile.


	4. Chapter 4: Mission

Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Naruto.

As you can tell, no one replied, so Haruka will still be female. I hate Mondays…

Chapter 4: Mission

There were many missions they had taken varying anywhere from D to B. Three D, five C, and one B. All four of them were surprised when the Third assigned the B rank mission. "You're giving us a B-rank mission?" Shisui asked, incredulous.

"Yes, Is that so surprising? You three are all geniuses in your own right. You'll be fine!"

"I don't think that's what he means, Hokage-sama." Riku responed. "We're merely Genin. Why give us a Chûnin level mission?"

"We've fallen short on Chûnin to fulfill all of the B-Rank Missions. Since this is our best Genin team, I'm sending you three to complete this mission."

"I'll do it." Itachi said. He looked at the other two.

"If he's in, I am, too!"

"You said three? What of Haruka-sensei?" Riku asked with a frown.

"We are also short on qualifying Jônin, so we have to have her on an A-Rank mission." That caught all four of them off guard.

"You expect us three to go on a mission alone?" Shisui demanded.

"You're asking too much from a Genin team, Hokage-sama!" Haruka cut in. "I have faith in my team, yes, but they haven't the training for a B-rank mission, much less one without their teacher!"

"Don't worry, they'll be accompanied by an ANBU member." As he spoke a man with silver hair and a black mask that covered his nose and mouth appeared beside him. His head band was tilted over his left eye. "Joining them will be—"

"Kakashi-sempai!" Riku cut in.

"Yo, Riku! Long time no see!" Kakashi said with a smile.

"I see you two already know each other." The Third said. "This is Hatake Kakashi, he'll be working with you three for this mission."

Itachi looked the newcomer over. Kakashi the Mirror Ninja. He was eight years older than the three of them, yet he was famous for his stealth and speed. This was going to be interesting.

"I guess I'm in." She said at last.

"Hooray! Let's go!" Shisui yelled. _Shisui is jealous of Kakashi. Not good._

"Don't you want to know the mission?" The Hokage asked, amused.

"That would be helpful." Itachi retorted. _She's a lot nicer to Kakashi than she is to the rest of us…_ Itachi thought, slightly jealous. It had taken about a year for her to start trusting them, yet she seemed completely at ease with this man. Sure they probably had a past relationship, but still, she was their comrade not his._ When did I start to think like this?_

He looked at Shisui who was watching Riku and Kakashi converse about the mission. The mission was to rescue a group of women from a bandit strong-hold and they were discussing battle tactics._ When did I.. start to like her and stop thinking of her as…my enemy?_ He looked at the sad look on Shisui's face. _When did I start thinking like Shisui?_

"Something wrong, Shisui-san?" Riku asked, noticing the look on his face.

"N-nothing!" Shisui said and smiled at Riku, who returned the smile, unaware of the fact that she was breaking the poor boy's heart. And his, too. He figured.

They left the building together. "Let's get our stuff and meet at the front gate at dawn tomarrow." Kakashi said cheerfully.

"Yes, sir!" All three responed.


	5. Chapter 5: The Bird Brothers

Disclaimer: (sighs) It gets tiring just typing this every time, but I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 5: The Bird Brothers

"You're _LATE_!" Shisui declared as Kakashi appeared that morning.

"I saw a cat stuck up in a tree and decided to help it's owner by getting it down…"

"Wha—really?" Shisui asked. -- Totally believes Kakashi.

"It doesn't take three hours to get a cat out of a tree." Itachi retorted.

Kakashi laughed. "Let's go!"

"Yes, sir!" All three chimed.

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"Hey, Kakashi-san?" Shuishi asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do we fight enemy ninjas on B-Rank missions?"

"No." The cheerful reply came from Riku. "D-Rank usually are little more than ordinary jobs, like weeding gardens. C-Rank deals with maybe a little fighting, like escort missions when you're protecting a client from bandits. B-Rank are even more difficult and include rescue missions. A-Rank missions deal with ninja attacks. S-Rank, however, are the most difficult missions and deal with jobs that could affect an entire nation depending on the outcome of the mission."

"I couldn't have said it better!" Kakashi said with a smile.

"You should stay on guard regardless." Itachi said.

"I know that!" Shisui snapped.

While they were listening to Shisui rant, Kakashi noticed that Riku tilted her head to the side as if straining to hear something. "Get down!" Kakashi ordered. All four dropped to the ground in an instant. An axe swung across the field, slicing trees as it went and spun around to return to the thrower.

"Hic These brats 're ninja?" A voice asked. He held onto the axe as he stared across at the group.

"Aye, brother. It seems they are." A second voice replied. Kakashi raised his head slightly to see their opponents. _The Bird Brothers! Not good!_ The Bird Brothers were former Chûnin who went for personal gain. When the older was caught attempting to rape a woman, they were thrown out of their home village, Hiding-in-Clouds. It was said that they were now bandit leaders. They were identifiable by the blue, bird tattoo on their left arms.

"Hic That girl… isn' she a gem? Eyes and hair that match da color of blood." The older said.

"Aye, that she is, Shido."

"Hic Let's take 'er with us den. She'd sell nicely for a pretty penny. Right, Shien?"

"Aye Aye!" The younger, Shien, replied. "Art of Paralyzis!"

"What happened to **_NO SHINOBI ON B-RANK MISSIONS_**?!" Shisui asked as they froze in place.

"They aren't shinobi. Not anymore, at least." Kakashi replied. _Damnit!_ He struggled against the technique when he saw the older of the two leap down from his spot on the tree branceh. He glanced quickly over at Riku and noticed the death glare that she sent over at the Bird Brothers. _Riku…_

The older brother froze, giving her enough time to leap for his throat. _How did she…?_ She some how or another managed to avoid the technique and turn it back against him. She slammed an elbow into the man's stomach, causing him to fall back, gasping for air. She quickly formed the sign of "Kai" (release) and tapped Kakashi and then went on to her comrades. Kakashi raced to meet their opponents. "Just so you know, I don't fall for the same trick twice." Kakashi said. "Riku! Thake the others and run! I'll take care of these two! Go back to the village!"

"That's not possible." Riku responded. "These two, maybe, but not me. They've already made it quite clear that they're after me. They won't let us escape and as kids, we don't have that kind of speed and endurance to out run people their size." _Darn! She's right! Why is she always right?_ "Besides." She said cheerfully. "I won't run from a battle that I can win."

_Cocky little…_ "Fine, just be careful. I don't know what I would tell the fourth when I die if anything bad happened to you."

"Sure." Riku replied. She turned to look at her comrades. "You two can return to the village if you want. I'll make sure they won't follow you."

"If you're staying then so am I!" Shisui said, brazenly.

"Hmph! I'd like to test a new jutsu I've been practicing. I guess these bozos will do." Itachi said with a smirk.

"Hic You hear that, Shien? It seems dat dem brats 're mocking us!"

"Aye! Let's teach them a lesson!"

"Hic Lightning style! Dengeki Muchi!" A whip of lightning appeared in his hand, He lashed it out towards Kakashi. "Hic Seems yer the one to take out first." Kakashi dodged the strike but with the flick of Shido's wrist, the whip was after him again. _Shit! If that hits, I'll be cut in half!_

"Wind Style! Kaze Kitta!" Blades of wind tore through the whip, causing it to fade. "You're fighting me as well!" Riku declared. "Can you two handle the other?" She asked her comrades.

"Of course." Itachi replied with a smirk. "Just who do you think we are?"

Kakashi was silently glad to be working with Riku, therefore he could keep her out of trouble better. And with Itachi and Shisui, they should be able to manage the other.

"Alright! Let's go!" Kakashi ordered.


	6. Chapter 6: Kakashi and Riku vs Shido

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 6: Kakashi and Riku vs. Shido

They split into two teams; Itachi and Shisui headed east to follow their opponent. "Hic dey just signed der own death." Shido said. "Shien ain't no fool. He can take out dem brats."

"They can manage him. You should be more worried about yourself." Riku replied, refusing to give him the reaction he wanted. "They don't look like much but their geniuses. They won't lose that easily."

"Hic Shut yer yap!" The bandit growled. "Water style! Kozui Bakuhatsu!" A huge blast of water shot out of his mouth

_Water technique. So I should do this…_ Kakashi thought. "Earth style! Iwa Kabe!" A huge rock crater moved up from the ground, blocking the water from hitting them.

"Hic What the-- ?!" The wall crumbled away to reveal the bandit struggling against chains made out of cloud. They were slowly wrapping around him like a snake.

"Check mate." Riku said cheerfully. "Kumo Kusari no Jutsu!"

"Gaah!" Shido yelped. He fainted out of freight.

"What a wuss." Riku commented. "Do you have any rope, Kakashi-sempai?"

_Anyone would be scared, Riku. _Kakashi thought. _Not only is a seven-year-old using a justu, but the jutsu belongs to a clan of tyrants believed to be dead for at least a decade…_ Kakashi pulled out some rope, tying up the unconscious bandit.

"Those two should be getting finished soon." Riku commented, turning to look at the battle between Shisui and Itachi and Shien.


	7. Chapter 7: Shuishi and Itachi vs Shien

Note: Sorry it took a while… I had to re-read my story to find out where I left off so that I wouldn't get matters confused… During this time, I noticed quite a few grammer mistakes… Usually I'm good with my punctuation, but oh well… Also, I brainstormed up a quick alternate ending to fit around Itachi's past… ish… :P

Anyways, please enjoy…

Disclaimer: I still am not the owner of Naruto, as usual.

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Chapter 7: Shuishi and Itachi vs. Shien

Itachi couldn't see his opponent too clearly. That's how good his opponent was. Shuishi was good… just as long as it didn't involve thinking, which didn't help in this situation against a genjutsu master. _Riku would be a better suited partner in this case…_ He hated to admit it, but his friend was just wasting his energy trying to beat up all the doppelgangers. Itachi watched Shuishi charge ahead and punch the enemy, only to have the enemy poof, revealing itself as a clone. More clones started popping up. "Damn it!" Shuishi snapped, losing his balance and would have fallen if Itachi hadn't pulled him back onto his feet.

_Concentrate!_ "Shuishi, he's attacking from the ground!" He shouted. Shuishi spun around just in time to grab the opponent's arm and hurl him into a tree. Shien turned in midair and bounced his feet against the tree trunk in order to disappear among the clones.

"Itachi… I'm getting tired of this guy…" Shuishi complained.

"I agree." Itachi nodded. He had used up much of his chakra earlier and was resting in hopes of recovering some of it… _Concentrate… focus…_ He saw a brief flicker in the thousands of doppelgangers. "He's coming!" Itachi yelled, shoving Shuishi out of the way and managing to dodge as well.

"Dude! How did you see that?!"

"I don't know…" Itachi replied. _Let's try harder!_ The clones flashed before him, turning every single one of them into tiny wisps of energy to his mind's eye. _Where..?!_ Itachi spun on his heel and struck the enemy in the gut, no longer being fooled by the genjustsu.

"How…?" Shien gasped through the pain.

"I said I don't know," Itachi responded.

"The sharingan eye," Kakashi said as he and Riku joined them. Kakashi dragged the elder of the bird brother's behind him, tied tightly with ropes.

"Hey! He's still awake!" Riku announced as she restrained the younger of the brothers. "Let's pry some information from him! Where is your stronghold?"

"Aaaa aaaah! My brother!" Shien noticed his older brother unconscious with eyes rolled back in his head with terror. "Onii-san!"

Riku positioned herself between the two of them. "Well? Are you going to talk? I can force it out of you…"

"EEEP! N-n-north! An old shack to the far north! Close to the border… please don't kill us… we're sorry!"

_Why is he so terrified of Riku?_ Itachi looked at Riku. Riku didn't look sinister, or even angry for that matter. She just gave a bright smile. "You can plead with me all you want, but Hokage-sama is the one you really should be pleading to."

"Speaking of Hokage-sama… we're going to need to drop these two off at the village before heading north," Kakashi spoke.

"There's no need for that!" A voice called from behind them.

"Haruka-sensei!" Shuishi cried.

"Haruka-sensei, what are you doing here?" Itachi asked.

"You did my mission for me. My job was to track down the Bird Brothers. Hokage-sama got information that they moved to this country a week ago and sent me out to track them down and bring them in. I'll take these two in. You four find their hideout and rescue the hostages."

"Haruka-san, we're going to have to inform Hokage-sama who took down the Bird Brothers."

"Yes, the credit will go to you four of course. Hokage-sama made the mistake of choosing this mission for my Genin."

"We took them down fine and we can do it again!" Shuishi said. He was proud of their achievement.

"Let's not…" Itachi groaned. "I've used too much chakara and now my head feels like its splitting."

"Maybe we should take a break before we head out," Riku offered. "If we end up in another battle, you could kill yourself if you use too much chakara."

"I'm fine…" Itachi protested.

"Let's all rest. I feel tired, too," Kakashi determined. As the leader of the group, he had the last word in the matter. "Haruka-san, I trust you to deliver these two to the village," he indicated the bandit brothers.

"Of course… I'll deliver them strait to Hokage-sama myself." Haruka grabbed the back of the bandits' collars and took to the trees, carrying the two as though they were lightweights.

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Hm… I hope I spelled "chakara" right… :P If not, I'll try to fix it later… If I can…


	8. Chapter 8: Chunin

Note: ARRGH! I just realized! It's Shisui, not Shuishi! Darn typos! I better fix that… Grr… I hate complicated names… *sigh* I will fix the other chapters… Hmm… I think I made a few other mistakes on my last chapter… Sorry, I was really tired when I was typing it up… Today is a Monday, which probably is a prelude to more mistakes… *sigh* I will fix my mistakes when I have a chance… maybe…

Disclaimer: Not the owner of Naruto…

Chapter 8: Chûnin

After a brief period of rest, the team headed north. They found an old run down shack not that far north and inspected it, finding the missing women tied and gagged in a room so hidden that they would have past by it if Riku hadn't heard a loud "thunk" coming from the room. From the women they learned that the other bandits had fled, abandoning the hostages after hearing that their leaders were defeated.

"Mission complete!" Shisui announced when they returned to the village with the women. They watched every one of the women greeted by a family member or a friend before they went to report to the Hokage.

"I see your mission was a success," the Hokage said with a sigh of relief. "I have an apology to make. The details of the mission were not well gathered and the appropriate rating for this mission should have been an A-rank mission." The Hokage took out a scroll and began to write on it. "I hope your teacher doesn't mind, but I'm recommending you three as chûnin.

"At _our _age?!" Shisui exclaimed.

"That's not so surprising. Kakashi-sempai became a chûnin at age six," Riku replied, earning an even more shocked face from Shisui.

"Is it that surprising?" Kakashi asked. "My promotion was at a time of war and they needed more chûnin to pick up the slack. I just happened to fill the spot."

The Hokage laughed. "Don't be so modest, Kakashi-kun. Both you and your father were famous and they taught you many techniques."

"True…" Kakashi did admit.

"Does this mean we're going to take the exams in the spring or the fall?" Itachi asked, bringing the subject of conversation back on track.

"No need for that. I think your teacher and your sempai will agree that you won't need any exams."

"Yes," said Uchiha Haruka. Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"From this day forth, the three of you are chûnin."

"Yes!" Shisui exclaimed. "Come on you two," he said, grabbing his teammates' arms. "Let's go celebrate!"

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I hope no one minds if I take down that note… after all, it is no longer needed… I'll take it down after I upload the next chapter… And no, this is not the last chapter… the next part takes place about seven years later where everyone is about fourteen or fifteen… ish… Of course I _could_ end it here if I wanted… but there is more to the story… *sigh* I foresee many typos in the near future…

Thank you for those of you who write reviews for my stories. They are my inspiration to keep typing! ^_^


	9. Chapter 9: Seven Years Later

Note: Ack! It's late again! And sorry, Shisui, it looks like I can't change your name without deleting the entire chapter first… *sigh*… You will have to remain Shuishi in chapter 7… Anyways! ^_^ Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto…

Chapter 9: Seven Years Later…

"Uzumaki Riku reporting for duty, sir!" Fourteen-year-old Uzumaki Riku announced, arriving at her destination.

"Riku-chan, Sempai isn't here yet."

"We thought you'd be together because you were both so late."

"No, actually I've been trying to keep to his schedule. He's four hours late on Mondays, two hours late on Tuesdays, only an hour late on Wednesdays, three hours late on Thursdays, half-an-hour late on Fridays, and he never takes jobs on Saturdays or Sundays." Riku smiled behind her ANBU mask. "There's no point in showing up on time when your team captain doesn't," she concluded.

"True…" One of them grumbled.

"He _is_ later than usual today, though," another group member retorted.

"Hey, everyone! Sorry I'm late! I accidentally wandered out into the woods and got lost."

"Liar!" His teammates accused.

Riku only laughed. "It's good that found your way back. We were just about to leave without you," she teased.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Riku-chan. The Third told me it was of utmost importance to speak to him before we left on this mission."

"And you tell the truth to her, but not us…" They grumbled.

"Was it top secret, or can you share it with the rest of us?" Riku asked

"Well… Kind of…"

"_No matter what happens, Kakashi-kun, don't tell Riku!" The Third said. "I know you have a habit of telling her top secret information, but this time it's of utmost importance that she __**does not know**__!"_

"Anyways, let's get going!"

"Yes, sir!" The team chimed before they left for their mission.

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It wasn't until they got back from the mission that Kakashi approached Riku. "Are you still meeting with Uchiha Itachi-kun and Uchiha Shisui-kun once a year?"

"Hmm? Yeah? Is there a problem?"

"Well… um… I thought I should tell you to take care… After all, the Uchiha clan will be horrified to find their two geniuses still hanging out with you… you being… well… of Soyokaze bloodline…"

She caught him off guard by kissing him on the cheek. He blushed mildly. "Thank you, Sempai 3! I'll take care!" She teased, laughing and disappeared into the crowd.

"She's acting just like… that woman!" He grumbled.

"_Kakashi-kun, you cannot let her know that the Uchiha are suspected of plotting a rebellion! If you do, there's no telling what she would do! I don't want her involved in this."_

"_Don't underestimate Riku-chan, Hokage-sama. She can handle—"_

"_I'm afraid it is _you_ who is underestimating her. That woman will stop at nothing to protect those she loves; just like her foster father."_

"Please be careful, Riku…"

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"Riku-chan! Over here!" Shisui waved her over.

"We're meeting at the playground this time?" Riku asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

"I promised to pick my brother up from school today, so I can't stay long," Itachi explained.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you had a brother. Is he cute?" Riku asked.

"Yeah, but he doesn't like being called cute."

"Can I meet him?"

Itachi hesitated. "Maybe I'll introduce you some other time… My parents want him to be home on time today." He couldn't tell her that his parents didn't want him to be "contaminated" like their older son had been, but at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to denying her request completely.

Abruptly, the school bell rang. "I should go now," Itachi said, preparing

"That wasn't much of a meeting…" Shisui grumbled. "I know! Riku-chan, let's go out on a date tomorrow."

Itachi froze, irritated for a reason he didn't know. "Sure! All three of us should meet here tomorrow." She clearly didn't realize he was actually asking her out on a date.

"We can't," Itachi butted in.

"Huh? Why not?" Shisui asked.

"The Uchiha clan meeting is tomorrow, Shisui. The entire clan expects us to attend."

"Oh yeah…" Shisui groaned.

"I see… Well, take care!" Riku smiled despite her disappointment and waved before leaving them.

"Stupid elders! I want the village to remain as it is…" Shisui grumbled.

"Don't talk about it in the open. If anyone outside of the clan finds out…"

"I know, I know… but this is ridiculous! So what if none of the Uchihas have been chosen as Hokage yet! I'll become Hokage in my own right! They just need a little patience!"

"The problem with that is everyone expects the third to announce Riku as the next Hokage when she gets older."

"But… They told us she's part Uchiha… even if her father was disgraced, she's still one of us. Why does she have to die…?"

"I don't know…" Itachi turned to leave. "I'd better go now... And don't think about it too much, Shisui. If you let it go to your head, it'll drive you insane."

"How can you take it so calmly?! She's our comrade! She's one of _us_!"

"We're ninja, Shisui. We do as we're told, regardless of our feelings."

"When did ninja become so heartless?"

"I don't know."

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Aargh! My computer is being really stupid lately. The internet hasn't been working. I also had trouble logging into , and without my account I couldn't post... Sometimes technology is a pain! .


	10. Chapter 10: Uchiha Clan Meeting

Note: I deleted the note and put up a new chapter last time. Please make sure you're on the right chapter, or it might be confusing. :P

Disclaimer: What really bothers me is writing these disclaimers every time, but I guess it's the moral thing to do, despite it being quite obvious that I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 10: Uchiha Clan Meeting

"This meeting is now in session," announced Fugaku.

"We already know the plan so I don't see why we're having this meeting," one of the other clan members grumbled.

"We're going over this for good measures. Also, I have an announcement in regards to Uzumaki Riku." Shisui was tense. Itachi couldn't blame him. They were learning the fate of their teammate. "We've hired an assassin from Hiding-in-Mist to ambush her on her next mission. No one will suspect a thing if she dies on the job."

"Oh, come on, Brother. Do you _honestly_ think that she's going to roll over dead for just anyone?" Itachi's uncle and Fugaku's younger brother asked. "She _is_ your older foster brother's daughter. You know, the daughter of the man you used to trust your life. He betrayed your trust and ours. Father should have never taken him in."

Fugaku closed his eyes and took a deep breath, attempting to keep his temper cool. "His betrayal was unexpected…" He said. "Akira violated our trust, and so I killed him. I _do_ regret trusting him to the mission of escorting Soyokaze Risa back to Hiding-in-Sand, but I think that _she_ seduced him for the most part."

"Akira was the true head of this clan, but he didn't want the title so he gave it to Father. His blood limit was the most pure."

"And your point is?" Fugaku snapped. "I know that! That _monster_ has his blood! I know that too! Akira tainted the Uchiha main family blood line. Riku may be from the main family, but she is not a pure blood Uchiha."

"Hasn't it ever occurred to you that the clash of the two bloodlines may have created a weakness in her? She's slowly deteriorating by herself. We don't need the assassin when she'll be easy to take down when the time comes to move out."

His uncle's talk made Itachi angry. "Don't underestimate Riku. You could end up dead if you do."

"Riku-chan can beat that assassin, too!" Shisui added in.

Shisui's father glared at Shisui. "I told you not to get attached to that _thing_. You're not still seeing her are you?"

Fugaku and Shisui's father glared at them. _Nice going, Shisui…_ Itachi thought, sarcastically. Now they were under suspicion of being traitors! "It would be too suspicious if we all of a sudden stopped associating with her. If we keep close to her, no one will suspect us of stirring up a civil war. I've heard people say that seeing us, two warring clans, 'getting along together' makes them think things will be peaceful."

Shisui stiffened. It was an excuse, but Shisui obviously didn't like it. "Well, don't get too close to her!" Shisui's father growled.

"We won't. We promise," Itachi lied. It was too late for that…

"Ah, yes… Regarding the nine-tailed fox, I fear we might just need the Mangekyo sharingan… The fourth put a tight seal on him."

They looked horrified at him. "That would mean…"

"We could always steal the secret scroll," Shisui's mother protested. "We can't afford to lose either of our protégées! Sure we need the fox, but…!"

"That scroll is one of that monster's possessions. She is certain to have traps set to keep away burglars. If we are caught, it will raise suspicion. We cannot afford that!" Another Uchiha argued.

"We'll nab the scroll once the monster is dead!"

"Yeah!"

"Alright; settle down," Fugaku sighed. "We'll discuss this again when the monster is dead. Until then, meeting adjourned."

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Shisui tracked Itachi down after the meeting. "The way they treat Riku-chan disgusts me. She's not a monster…"

"Shisui… I understand how you feel…" He admitted.

Shisui's head shot up. Itachi understood that he wasn't acting like he cared, but he really did care. "You do?!"

"She's our friend… but I don't want to choose between my friends and my family… I will wait this out. If Riku is meant to live she will uncover this plot and put things right. If not, the Uchiha will win. Just as long as I don't have to fight her, I will not get involved."

"And… if they want _us_ to kill her when the assassination fails?" Shisui had no doubt in his mind that Riku would overcome that obstacle.

Itachi hesitated. He knew what he would do. It would be a very disgraceful thing for a ninja to do. "Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

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Thanks for reading! I will continue again soon. I think that the problems I had with logging in dealt with my school's wireless connection. :( Stupid connection! I was only able to upload because my computer was actually being nice and didn't cut my internet connection…


	11. Chapter 11: Assassin

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 11: Assassin

"Riku-chan? Is there something wrong?" Shisui asked.

"Oh… no. It's just a migraine… nothing important. I get them a lot." Riku smiled, trying to reassure Shisui and Itachi.

Itachi looked up from the scroll he was studying. He recalled what his uncle said. Perhaps there was trouble with the mixed blood. "Riku, if you're not feeling well you shouldn't go on any missions until you're better."

Shisui looked at Itachi with a shocked expression. The whole Uchiha clan's plan to assassinate Riku rested on Riku's upcoming mission. If she didn't go, the plan would fail. If they could somehow let their friend live longer… "Yeah, you can hang out with us! I don't have anything better to do anyways!" Shisui offered.

"Sorry, I can't. I shouldn't let my aches and pain get in the way. My squad is counting on me; I can't let them down."

"Riku-chan! If you don't hurry up, you'll be late!" A villager called.

"Ah! Look at the time! I'm going to be later than my captain!" Riku exclaimed, disappearing so fast that Shisui and Itachi couldn't see.

"Is that even possible?" Shisui asked, knowing very well that the ANBU captain she was talking about was the very same ANBU member who joined them on the mission that promoted them to Chûnin.

"Who knows…" Itachi grumbled in response, returning his attention back to the scroll.

"What'll we do? We couldn't stop Riku-chan…"

"We can't do anything anymore. We can only hope that she can survive."

"Riku-chan should be able to defeat that assassin, right?"

"Probably… _If_ it's just a regular assassin and not who I think it is…"

"Who do you think it is?" Shisui asked nervously.

"Father sent the scroll straight to Mizukage."

"That means one of his trusted officers… right?"

"Even one of his trusted officers could be too much for her to handle. I hear that his most trusted officers are on the same level as Hokage-sama's students."

"Ah! No! That's not good!" Shisui yelped.

"Hopefully he doesn't catch her alone. Kakashi is strong. Maybe if they work together, they will be able to overcome a top ranking officer."

Shisui bit his thumb. "I'm going to tell Riku-chan!"

Itachi gripped Shisui's shoulder, preventing him from going. "I won't let you do that. Subtle warnings are fine, but we can't outright tell her."

"Why not!? I can't just let her die!"

"What do you think will happen if your parents find out you betrayed them?" Shisui stiffened. He hated to disappoint his parents. He was torn between his parents and the girl he had a crush on. "Have a little faith in her and hope for the best."

Shisui sighed. "Alright…" he said.

Itachi wouldn't have stopped Shisui if he had insisted on going after he tried to talk him out of it. Itachi wanted to tell Riku as well, but his brother would be devastated to have a traitor for a brother. Sasuke didn't know what the clan was up to, but he would still be able to understand that his brother betrayed his family. _Riku, don't die yet…_

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Riku managed to reach her destination without being late, arriving exactly when her sempai did. "Riku-chan, why are you late?" Kakashi was surprised.

"She's smart and doesn't wait for hours upon hours for you to arrive when she knows you're definitely going to be late anyways."

"In fact, we've all been arriving about the same time as you now. It's pointless to wait around for you."

"One of these days I'm going to show up on time and report all of you to Hokage-sama for being late…" he grumbled, realizing they were right.

They laughed. "Like that would ever happen!"

"Let's head out."

"Yes, sir!"

On their way back, they were ambushed by a man wearing a mask. "What the—?!" One member cried being knocked into a tree.

"What?! An ambush?!" Kakashi exclaimed.

"I'd love to play around, but I've got better things to do," the assassin said.

"Who are you?!"

"Just your everyday assassin!" he said with a laugh. "Earth style! Rock Drop!" The ground crumbled under their feet, trapping them. That didn't stop Riku, though. She jumped up, using the tunnel walls to propel herself up. "Hmm… I guess I couldn't kill you by trapping you underground. You're as light as a feather. It's no wonder why you could pretty much fly right out of there."

"You're after me then?"

"Yep! You look like you'll be a rather easy opponent though," he sighed. "I almost regret that I decided to do this mission, but I had to see just who could be such a threat that they would send out a request directly to me, the Mizukage."

"How did an Uchiha end up the leader of The Bloody Mist?"

He looked surprised. "What makes you think I'm part of that lowly clan?"

"Riku-chan! Are you okay!?" Kakashi called.

"Hmm… Oh yes, I should probably cover that hole before they get out, shouldn't I? Even if they do get out, they still won't be able to defeat me, but it will just take longer to kill you."

Afraid for her comrades' lives, she replied, "I won't let you!" Swiftly, she aimed a kick at her assassin. He disappeared, making it seem like he was never there. "Oh my, you sure are fast. I nearly got hit."

"Quit lying. As an Uchiha, you can predict my movements."

"You still haven't explained to me how you knew I was from the Uchiha clan."

"I can feel your chakra. You have the same as theirs: lightning and fire."

"I see… since you know who I am, you definitely need to die…"

Riku cocked an eyebrow. "Weren't you going to kill me anyways…?"

"Well, actually I was just going to test you since I didn't want to help them at all."

"Could you tell me something before I die?"

"Sure! Do you want me to tell you who sent for me?"

"Are you the one who set the nine-tails fox on my village?"

The Mizukage was surprised. "What makes you think that the nine-tailed fox could be controlled?"

"The sharingan could be used to hypnotize any living creature. I figured it would be one of the Uchiha, I just didn't know which one. The Uchiha refused to help my foster father because he took me in, but I sensed the presence of one lone Uchiha standing in the distance."

"Ah! Yes, that was me. Is that all you wanted to ask me?"

"Yes. I don't want to know who warranted my death. After all, there is always that risk as a ninja."

"I rather like that in you. Too bad you have to die… I know! If I let you live I can get revenge on the Uchiha clan for ostracizing me!"

"I want nothing to do with this plan."

"Why not? They murdered your parents, didn't they?"

"I've known that for quite some time that they are my parents' killers, but revenge is a never ending cycle. I don't want to get caught up in it."

"Oh, but you will want to kill them once you know…"

"No, I won't," she was sure she wouldn't.

He ignored her and continued on. "…and once you know, I will approach you again. Until then, I'll be watching you from the shadows!" The Mizukage disappeared.

_Somehow I've warded off death for the time being…_ Riku thought as she went to see how her team members were. "Are you guys okay?" she called.

"Yeah, just a few broken bones from the fall," Kakashi replied. "Stand back, Riku. This could be dangerous." Riku obeyed her captain's commands. "Earth Style! Stone Pillar!" The ground rumbled underneath her feet.

Riku saw her comrades slowly reach the surface on a flat topped pillar. "It looks like you guys need medical attention," she stated when she saw Kakashi straining to move his arm.

"Yeah," he said.

"I'm glad it's nothing serious. I want to see all of you who have injuries. I can heal them enough to get everyone home without falling behind schedule."

"I'm pretty sure they won't be expecting us on time, Riku-chan!" One of her comrades laughed, lightening the atmosphere. "Our captain has a habit of being late anyway!" Grateful for the humor, she laughed beside her teammates.

"Hey, what happened to that weird, masked guy?"

"He left," Riku replied, tending to the broken leg of one of her teammates.

"He left after causing us trouble?" Kakashi asked doubtfully. "Did you chase him off?"

"Not really… he didn't like the job, I guess…" That was all she could explain to her captain without letting them know it was _Mizukage_ who attacked. It would start a war with Hiding-in-Mist for a job done on a whim.

"From his mask, he seems to be from Hiding-in-Mist…" Kakashi determined.

"Maybe a renegade working for a small country…" A member offered.

"Maybe," Riku lied.

Kakashi was silent at first. "I'm going to have to report this to Hokage-sama. Even a renegade from Hiding-in-Mist should be taken seriously."

Riku had nothing to say to that. The wind seemed to echo what he said. _"…but you will want to kill them once you know…"_ She wondered what the masked man meant by that. What would she find that would drive her to betray her country and cause a civil war? He made it sound like she would find out soon…

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Yay! I'm on a roll! I've finally got this chapter done! This story has maybe a few more chapters until the end. Next time there will be a guest appearance… I won't tell you who, though. It's a secret! :)


	12. Chapter 12: Brothers

Note: I think I should post this before people start thinking I'm dead or something. O.O. I was so busy last week, it wasn't even funny… Luckily I have spring break this week. ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 12: Brothers

"I don't want to wait for him!" Uchiha Sasuke snapped at his teacher. "Onii-san only comes to pick me up when Okaa-san makes him!"

"Sasuke-kun, there is a reason why your brother can't come pick you up all the time…"

"I don't want to hear it!" Sasuke covered his ears with his hands.

The teacher sighed. "You'll understand when you're older, Sasuke-kun." Sasuke, however, didn't hear what was being said.

Soon, the children waiting for their relatives to pick them up dwindled down and the only one left was Sasuke. Even Naruto, the orphan, had gone home. The teacher looked impatiently at the clock. He had no time to sit and wait for Itachi to come pick his brother up. He, too, had a family waiting for him. "What on Earth is taking that boy so long?" Annoyed by the long wait, Sasuke ran out the door. "Sasuke-kun! Wait!" Sasuke ignored the teacher. He was going to run away and never come back!

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Uzumaki Riku

Riku nearly collided with a black-haired boy running out of the classroom, but due to quick reflexes, she managed to jump out of the way in time. _Hmm… He looked a lot like Itachi-san…_ She wouldn't be surprised if they were from the same clan.

"Sensei, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I just saw a kid running past here…"

"Sasuke-kun was tired of waiting for his brother to come pick him up… I tried to get him to wait longer, but Sasuke-kun wouldn't listen. I know this is a bit much for me to ask, but could you please find Sasuke-kun and bring him back? Itachi-kun has a short fuse when it comes to his brother."

"So that was Itachi-san's brother… I guess I could track him down…"

"I'm sorry… And you had come here about teaching Genin…"

"It's fine. That can wait! I had wanted to do something for my late teacher, Haruka-sensei, so I thought getting students of my own would be good."

"The students have been failing more and more lately. There's a strong likelihood that you wouldn't get students for another few years."

"It all depends upon how you present the task. Anyways, try to hold Itachi-san off as long as you can. I'll track down Sasuke-kun and see if I can bring him back."

"Thank you, Uzumaki-chan! You're a real life saver."

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Uchiha Sasuke

Sasuke ran and ran until he ran out of breath. He had reached the lake at the corner of the Uchiha property. Deciding a brief rest would do him well without losing his head start, he sat down on the pier overlooking the lake water.

Immediately, he regretted it. The reflection in the water that peered back at him was not Sasuke, but his older brother. _"He is surely Itachi-kun's brother…_" The memory floated to his mind. Anger washed over him. He snatched a stone lying at the end of the pier and threw it into the water with all his might.

With a great "_Sploosh!"_ the stone shattered the reflection and sank down to the bottom. Unfortunately, he got splattered with lake water as an after effect. "Aagh!" Sasuke groaned.

What made matters worse was the sound of someone laughing. Sasuke turned to glare at the person laughing at him. The red haired woman he had seen early when leaving the school was standing at the shoreline. "Sorry, sorry. I was just thinking that despite how much you look like Itachi-san, you certainly don't act anything like him."

The comment caught him off guard, but it pleased him. She had seen the difference between them. "Did Sensei ask you to find me?"

"He did."

"Then go away! I'm not going back!"

"You're brother will be worried sick if you don't go back." Riku walked down to the end of the pier where Sasuke sat. She dropped down beside him.

"Liar! He doesn't care about me at all!"

"That's not true, Sasuke-kun. Itachi-san cares about you a lot."

"Don't speak as if you know him! They all say that, but Onii-san never says that to me!"

"I do know him. Itachi-san speaks of you a great deal of the time. You see… I was put on the same team as your brother years ago. We've gone our separate ways, but we still see try to see each other at least once a year."

"If he cares about me, then why doesn't he show it?"

"Itachi-san is… a bit aloof, but he's like that with everyone. Your poor older brother is forced to go on grueling missions because he is considered a prodigy. As much as he wants to spend time with his cute little brother, the village needs his abilities."

"He has days off, yet he always goes into town."

"Have you ever asked Itachi-san to spend time with you?"

"No! If he cares about me, he should be the one to ask me!"

"I think he thinks you don't want anything to do with him, so he's trying to keep his distance. He knows you're having trouble trying to fit into his shoes."

"Why does everyone expect me to be great like him? Just because we're brothers, does that mean that we have to be alike?"

"Sasuke-kun, you will, without a doubt, become a greater ninja than your brother someday."

"Yeah, right! Look at me! I'm a slow weakling! Father thinks I should be more like my brother. All he sees is my brother! Why can't I be more like him?!"

"Sasuke-kun… you just learn at different paces. The more mistakes you make the better. For each mistake you make, there is a lesson to be learned. Someone who falls down and comes back up again will be much stronger than one whose life is overly easy."

"I'd rather be your brother than his!"

"Aww! Thanks, but you'd really make Itachi-san cry if he heard you say that," the girl chuckled.

"No, he wouldn't! Onii-san couldn't cry even if his life depended upon it!"

"As distant as your brother is, he's still human. I know what you could do! You could ask him to show you the kunai trick! Your brother has the best kunai trick in all of Konoha. This way you brothers can get to know each other a bit more."

"I guess I could try to get to know him…" Sasuke grumbled. Sasuke looked up, "Hey, Onee-san?" The red-haired girl pointed at herself as if to ask if he was addressing her. Realizing he could be making a mistake, he asked, "I can call you Onee-san, right?"

"Sure."

"Onee-san, can we meet again?"

"Of course! I'd love to…" but then as a side thought, she added, "with your brother's permission, of course."

"Why would you need his permission? You're teammates, right."

"Well, I get the feeling that sometimes… he doesn't like me… When your own friends start hiding things from you… It gets a little… lonely…"

Sasuke didn't have time to react to the terribly sad expression on her face. "Sasuke!" Itachi was running to the pier. Sasuke had never seen his brother so flustered before. Quickly, Itachi composed himself. "Sasuke, Mom's worried, we should go." He looked at his teammate. "Riku, I am so sorry for the inconvenience…"

"No! There's no problem. Really! It was nice meeting you, Sasuke-kun." Riku ruffled Sasuke's hair a bit, smiling. "Take care of each other for me. You are both important to me."

"Good-bye, Onee-san! Let's meet again soon!" Sasuke waved at Riku as Itachi led him to the Uchiha lands. "Hey, Onii-san? I think you should tell Riku-nee-san what you've been hiding. That way she will be less lonely." Itachi stopped midstride. "Onii-san, is something wrong?"

"She…?" A look of dread and sadness washed over Itachi's face

"Onii-san…?"

"It's nothing, Sasuke. It will all be over soon, and then there will be no need to hide anything from her."

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To Be Continued… hopefully…

Every time I post, I fear that people aren't really going to like the twists and turns in this story… Thank you to those who have stayed with me so far. It makes me happy that people actually read this… I think…


	13. Chapter 13: Name

Note: Thank you to those reviews. It really helped me in my time of depression. : P No, I don't have a sharingan…O.O. I think the review writer was referring to the fact that I could foresee many typos, but I could be wrong. Anyways, I have another special guest this chapter in store. ; )

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine.

Chapter 13: Name

"Don't push yourself too hard, Uzumaki-chan," one of the medical ninjas told her as she was leaving the hospital.

Riku laughed. "I will do my best."

"Sometimes I wonder if she actually means that she'll do her best not to push herself, or she's just saying that she'll do her best even if it means pushing herself too hard," the medical ninja muttered to his fellow.

"Has anyone else noticed that Uzumaki-chan seems to be depressed lately?"

"Are you kidding me? Uzumaki-chan? Depressed? No way. She came in here with a smile and left with a smile."

"Hush! You know it's rude to talk behind people's backs like that!"

"Ah! Lady Tsunade!" The workers cried out in shock. "When did you get here?"

Tsunade sighed, "I was just passing through when Riku-chan came by. That girl is too much like her mother. She keeps overworking herself. It will end up killing her one day."

"Ah! Don't say that! It'll be a bad omen!"

To that, Tsunade said nothing.

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Uzumaki Riku

Something came charging at her at full speed. She didn't have time to react. _"Wumph!"_ That something collided with her, causing them both to fall to the ground. "Ow, ow, ow!" the blond haired boy who ran into Riku yelped.

"Hey, kid! Watch where you're going!" one of the onlookers yelled at him, angered that _that_ person ran into Riku, their beloved friend and comrade.

"No, no. It's okay. It was my fault. I shouldn't be standing in the middle of the road," Riku exclaimed with a laugh. She got up and reached to help the boy up. "Here, let me help—"

"Liar! Don't say things that you don't mean! I know what you're up to!"

"Then… you're saying it's your fault and not mine?"

"NO! It's _your_ fault!"

"Then it's agreed. It's my fault."

"Hey, you tricked me!"

_He looks just like… _Maybe he was… "I'm going to get some ramen, want to come with? It'll be my treat."

"No, I don't trust you!"

"Fine, then I'll ask Sasuke-kun to join me."

That comment seemed to do the trick. "Hey! I never said I wouldn't come!" When Riku grinned at him, he realized, "Darn you! You tricked me again!"

"Do you want ramen or not?"

"Yes… No… yes? Is ramen good?"

"It's inexpensive and it's good. You'll love it." _Especially if you are who I think you are…_

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"Yum! This stuff is good!"

Riku chuckled. "Don't eat too much or you'll make yourself sick."

"I haven't been able to afford much. I get some money from the city because my parents died on duty, but it's not much."

"Why don't you live at the orphanage with all the other children? I'm sure they'd take good care of you there."

"No! I won't go back there! Everyone there hates me."

"I don't see why they would, but if you're short of funds, maybe I could talk to the Hokage for you."

"You'd do that… for me?" The boy asked, shocked.

"When Riku-chan gives her word, she means it," the ramen stand owner grinned. "That's just the way she is."

Riku realized for a second that she hadn't gotten the boy's name. She figured she knew who he was, but she decided to ask anyways. "By the way, is your name N—"

Afraid to lose the friend he had just made, he shouted, "My name is NOT Naruto!" Riku couldn't help but laugh at him. "Darn it! You did it again!"

"No, this time you tricked yourself," she laughed. "Anyways, I'll go talk to the Hokage." She turned to the stand owner. "Please serve him as much ramen as he wants. I'll pay whatever is owed the next time I visit."

"Sure thing, Riku-chan!" The owner grinned.

"You… you mean you don't hate me?" Naruto asked, shocked.

"No, why would I hate you?"

"Everyone hates me!"

"Then make everyone like you. If you're grumpy, you'll make other people grumpy. If you're happy people around you feel more inclined to be nice to you."

"Riku-nee-san!" He called before she left. "Thank you!"

She smiled and waved before heading back into the center of town. _It's good to see Arashi-san's son doing well._ What saddened her was how horribly he was being treated. _I thought they were more mature than to blame that poor boy for the burden he bears… _Riku sincerely hoped that one day, the village would come to accept him.

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A few of these chapters are slow, but they should be picking up the pace pretty soon… hopefully soon…

Anyways, chapter 13 is done! Let's hope it doesn't cause bad luck. O.O. That would be pretty bad.

Oops! I guess there were two special guests this time...


	14. Chapter 14: Boys Will Be Boys

Note: So I was surfing around on , something I haven't done in awhile, and I found another Uzumaki Riku. O.O. Just so I clear things up, I am _**NOT**_ copying anyone. (I thought that maybe that's where the sharingan comment might have come from…) You can even check the publish dates if you want. Maybe great minds think alike?

Don't get me wrong, I'd be flattered if someone copied me. Just please don't claim that I stole the idea of Riku from anyone else…

Disclaimer: Well… I guess I am copying the author of Naruto a bit, but that's kind of obvious… I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 14: Boys Will Be Boys

"…focus your chakra…"

"Riku-nee-san!" Naruto exclaimed running downhill to the pier where Riku was seated.

"Oh! Hey, Naruto-kun!" Riku smiled.

"Riku-nee-san! Could you teach me transformation jut…" he trailed off, noticing Sasuke sitting beside her. They immediately locked glares. "Onee-san! Couldn't you have gotten better company than _him_?" Naruto protested.

"You mean like _you_?" Sasuke snorted doubtfully.

"At least I'm not a stuck up brat like you!"

"Shut up! At least _I_ can do a simple transformation jutsu!"

_Transformation, huh?_ "Boys, I can teach you both together."

"NO!" They both shouted at once.

Riku buried her face in her hands. "Oh… I try so hard and yet…" Her shoulders shook. Immediately, the boys assumed she was crying.

"Urk… Nee-san, don't cry…" Sasuke began.

"This is all _your_ fault!" Naruto accused.

"_My_ fault!? _You_ started it!" Sasuke countered.

"Na-uh! You just _have_ to be _Mr. Smarty-Pants_ all the time!" Naruto snarled.

"It's not _my_ fault that you're jealous of me!" Sasuke hissed.

"Who said I was jealous of _you_!" Naruto roared.

"I guess I'm not cut out to be a teacher… I can't even get two boys to stop arguing long enough to teach them anything… Maybe I should give up now…"

"No! Onee-san, don't give up now! We're behaving! We're behaving!"

"Yeah! We won't argue anymore!"

"Promise?" She asked.

"We promise!"

She looked up from her hands with a grin spread across her face. "You promised! You'd better keep your word!"

"Argh! She tricked us both!"

Riku laughed. "If you don't keep your word, I won't teach you anything!"

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Uchiha Itachi

Itachi found his brother with the Naruto and Riku. Both boys sat cross-legged on the pier, facing towards the center of the lake. They would frown in concentration, occasionally snap at each other, and then return to concentrating after a stern look from Riku.

Itachi was reluctant to pull Sasuke away from Riku, but it was time to eat and his mother was worried about Sasuke's whereabouts. "Sasuke! It's time to eat." Sasuke broke his concentration and looked to see Itachi waiting for him at the end of the pier. He noticed Sasuke's shoulders droop in disappointment.

When Naruto thought Riku couldn't see him, he stuck out his tongue at Sasuke. Sasuke glared in response to the immature gesture. "Riku-chan, could you finish teaching me tomorrow?"

"Hmm… I've got an assignment tomorrow afternoon. If it's before then, it should be fine."

"How long will you be gone for?" Itachi asked.

"About two or three days," Riku answered truthfully.

"That long?" Sasuke asked.

"Is something wrong?"

"Ah… Um… No…"

Riku frowned slightly. Itachi realized she sensed the lie. "I'll speak to you later, Riku," Itachi assured her.

"Okay…" Riku said with a confused shrug. Sasuke looked away guiltily.

"Bye, Onee-san! Promise me you'll teach me tomorrow morning!"

"I promise, Sasuke-kun! Take care!" She waved to the two of them as they left to go back to the Uchiha clan's land before Naruto claimed her full attention.

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Uzumaki Naruto

"Hey, Onee-san? Why do you dye your hair red?" Naruto asked over a bowl of ramen.

"What do you mean? This is my natural hair color." She ran a finger through her hair in emphasis.

"You mean that rumor about it being dyed with blood or that you dye your hair to get attention aren't true?"

Riku chuckled. "No. I do have to admit, my hair color does get in the way sometimes when I'm on a mission, but if I hide it, there is no problem. On some missions, I even dye my hair black. It saddens me that there are still some people who think I'm still looking for trouble. I gave up that side of me when I became a genin."

"_You_ were a troublemaker?" Naruto was in awe.

"You should ask the teachers. I found classes _so_ boring that I fell asleep in every single one of them. Occasionally, I would skip my classes and sometimes I'd pull a prank on fellow students or the teachers. They weren't too pleased about it. When I became a genin, however, I decided that I would stop pulling pranks and start to be a _little_ more serious. I figured that I could become a ninja my parents would be proud of."

"Onee-san, do you think… I could become a good ninja…?"

"Of course you can! I see lots of potential in you."

"But… I'm the worst in the class…"

"Well, the only place you have left to go is up. Give it your best and you should be able to make it."

"You really mean it?"

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

"Yay! Thank you, Onee-san!"

"Now, you should eat your ramen before it gets cold. Unless, of course, you want me to eat it…"

"NO! I'll eat it!" Naruto exclaimed, pulling the bowl of noodles close to him and gobbled it down quickly before he realized. _She keeps tricking me!_

Riku burst out laughing.

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Uchiha Itachi

"Oh, Itachi-san…" Riku said, surprised when he searched her out.

"I thought I should ask you to put off the mission until Friday. You see, in two days, its Sasuke's birthday."

"Oh! Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know! I'll see if I can talk to Hokage-sama… He did say that it didn't need to be done right away. I was just thinking about getting it done sooner rather than later."

"Sasuke didn't want to seem selfish, so he didn't ask."

"No, that's fine. He tells me he gets kind of lonely with you gone almost all the time. The boys his age are quite envious of him."

"I noticed that Naruto was here, too."

"Yeah, when they're together, they seem to… provoke each other into doing better. I don't know how else to put it."

"Rivals?" Itachi asked.

"Rivals! That's the word! I think it's good that they have each other. This way they'll have more motivation to improve."

"I hope they don't rough each other up too much…"

Riku chuckled. "What was that saying? Boys will be boys?"

Itachi shrugged. "Just as long as they don't get into a fist fight, I'm fine with it."

"Are you sure you're fine with it?" She had guessed that his parents had broken the law and had told him.

"I trust your judgment," he replied honestly. He knew Riku was good at judging who was good and who was bad. She had judged him and Shisui right the first time. Perhaps, she shouldn't have changed her mind about them…

He got a mild blush out of her. "Wow. It's rare to hear you compliment anyone, much less me."

"I just don't give false compliments."

She smiled. "That's what I like about you. You compliment people on things that they earn. Like me for an example. Do you remember the first thing you told me was?"

"'Don't get cocky just because you're the daughter of a Hokage.' That comment?"

"That made me happy. Most people thought that because my father was good, that I should be good too."

"I don't see how such a comment could make you happy."

"I purposely made a mistake in class once to see if anyone would correct me, but they didn't. They told me that I did a great job and that it was a pleasure to have such a bright student in their class. As much as I like being praised, I'd like to be scolded sometimes too. Arashi-san and Nami-san were the only ones who would do that for me. Call me weird if you must, but I don't like receiving praise that I didn't earn. It feels the same as stealing."

"How would it be the same as stealing?"

"That is praise meant for my father or my mother, not for me. I am my own person. I am not them. I am sure Sasuke-kun could tell you the same thing."

"I feel bad that he has so much pressure on him because of me. I don't dare disappoint my parents by making a mistake, though."

"Even though it doesn't seem like it, Naruto has it easy."

"What does that mean?"

"The one who sets the expectations for Naruto is himself. He doesn't have to worry about living up to people's expectations. He can choose his own path. I'm pretty sure this is what his father wanted."

"You know his father…?"

"I can't tell anyone. It's a secret. The Third Hokage made me promise not to tell anyone. There are only three of us who know and it is against the law for any of us to speak to him, or anyone else, about who his parents are. If it weren't, I'd tell you, but I made a promise to follow the laws of Konoha when Arashi-san asked me to protect Konoha for him. I figured that if I didn't follow the laws, I wouldn't be taking his words seriously."

"The boys used to think it was cool that there was a girl troublemaker. I remember they always followed your lead when it came time for trouble."

Riku laughed. "Arashi-san got a lot of scolding. The amount of trouble kept getting bigger and bigger." She sighed. "Ah, the memories! It's good to talk about the past every now and then. I wonder what stories about me will be spread after I pass…"

Itachi nearly jumped. "You speak as if you're expecting to die soon."

"Ah! No! That's not… It's just that... you never know with these missions. There's that criminal organization Orochimaru fled to. I have a feeling that they're going to be difficult to deal with. Last time I checked, they're so elite they won't let any but S-class criminals into their ranks!"

"Does your next mission deal with them?"

"Yes. Don't tell anyone I mentioned this to you, but I am supposed to remove Orochimaru from the rest of the organization. They think that it'll be easier to deal with them once Orochimaru is gone."

"And… how do you plan to do that?"

"Lure him out. I know my feminine traits aren't good enough to lure him out, but I hear he'd do anything to get a blood limit. Hokage-sama thinks that my blood limit might be enough to lure him out. If he hears that I am going to be in the area, maybe he'll come out to try and find me."

"The Hokage is going to put you out as bait?" Itachi was a bit disappointed in the Hokage for that.

"There are three of us going into different places to try and lure him out. Hyuuga-san is heading east, I am heading north, and Kakashi-sempai is heading west. We couldn't get Uchiha cooperation in this mission, so Kakashi-sempai offered to step in."

"The three most desired blood limits of Konoha…"

"That's the idea."

"Why did you tell me?"

"He didn't say it was against the law to tell anyone. I just had to make sure that if I talked about it, it would be with someone I trusted."

_She trusts me…_ Itachi felt horribly guilty for not being able to tell her what would befall Konoha. It was too late to turn back now. His family counted on him. He couldn't betray his family…

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Sorry about the rant I left in the note. I know I shouldn't be, but I _am_ a bit oversensitive to what people think about me. I am a bit shy, so it took me a lot of courage to write this story. I'm glad I did, but if people send me bad reviews I'll probably clam up and never write another story ever again. It makes me happy when people write me good reviews, so thank you to those who send them to me! ; )


	15. Chapter 15: The Reason for Orange

Note: I thought I should explain this in case anyone is wondering, since good and bad are vague terms.

**Good** = Compliments/Encouragement & _Constructive_ criticism (After all, criticism would help me improve as an author)

**Bad** = put downs/ insulting _me_ instead of the story

Now that that is explained, let's continue with the chapter, okay? ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 15: The Reason for Orange

The day of Sasuke's birthday soon arrived. "Riku-nee-san? What are you doing at the academy?" Naruto asked. When the students already gathered noticed Naruto standing in the door way, they nearly dropped their projects.

"We're throwing a surprise for Sasuke-kun."

Naruto narrowed his eyes in disappointment. "Oh," he said. "Since it's him, I'm leaving." Other boys nodded in agreement.

"It's just a simple 'Happy Birthday.' It's not as if it's a party or anything. Come on, stay awhile." The girls sighed in disappointment. They wanted to throw a party, but Riku thought it would be too extreme.

"Riku-nee-san, I don't like Sasuke-kun."

"I'll give you something nice if you stay…"

"Like what?"

"Stay and find out."

Thinking it would be ramen, Naruto said, "Fine… don't expect me to be celebrating, though…"

"Thanks, Naruto-kun!"

Soon, the decorations were up and all that was left to do was to wait for Sasuke, who was unusually late. "Why is he so late…?" Naruto complained. He wanted this embarrassment to be done and over with quickly. Sasuke just _had_ to take his time.

"I've been wondering… why are you wearing orange?" She was referring to the orange T-shirt he was wearing. "It kind of stands out."

"I'm wearing orange so you don't feel so bad about standing out. If I wear orange, we both stand out."

"Aww! That's so sweet!" She hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Naruto-kun! I feel better already!"

Naruto flailed his arms in protest. "Onee-san! Stop hugging me! It's embarrassing!" She laughed in response before releasing him.

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Is anybody in there…?" Sasuke's voice called from the other side of the door.

"Quick! Naruto! Go open up the door for him!"

"Why me?!"

"Just go!"

Grumbling all the way, Naruto went to open the door for Sasuke. Before Sasuke could ask why Naruto was opening the door, a ton of confetti fell down on both of them. A banner hung from the door frame saying "Happy Birthday Sasuke and Naruto!"

"It's not my birthday, Onee-san!" Naruto scowled. He disliked it being celebrated with Sasuke's even more.

"It will be in four days, so happy early birthday."

"You know when my birthday is…?" Naruto was touched. "Thanks, Onee-san!"

"I got birthday gifts for you both. You'll have to find them, though!" She teased.

"Come on! Give me a hint!"

"What fun would that be?"

"Onee-san!"

"I've got to go now. Take care you two."

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Uzumaki Riku

Back at her apartment, she fixed herself a sandwich. She was just about to eat it when there was a knock on her door. Curious about who would come to her apartment, she answered it. "Hey, Riku-chan!" Her visitor greeted her as she opened the door. It was Shisui.

"Oh! Shisui! Come in!" She looked around her apartment for a second. "Sorry about the mess. I've been studying my dad's scrolls lately, and I haven't gotten around to cleaning them up."

"No, no. That's fine. I wasn't going to stay long."

Riku suddenly felt very dizzy. She felt as if she were going to collapse. "Did you need something?" She asked, struggling to keep everything under control.

"Um… Yeah, Riku-chan…" Suddenly her vision turned black. "RIKU-CHAN!"

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To Be Continued…

Okay, things are finally going to come to a close pretty soon. After a few more chapters, I should be wrapping up. I'm trying to finish most of it during my break because I don't know when I'm going to have a chance again. Some important events are going to be in the next chapter, so be prepared... Anyways, I'll try to get the next chapter up today because this one was so short...

Thanks for reading!


	16. Chapter 16: One Week

Note: Yay! I managed to get this up today. I'm going to start working on the next chapter right away.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Chapter 16: One Week

Uzumaki Riku woke up in a white walled room, wondering where she was. "Thank goodness you're awake!" The blonde medic sighed in relief.

"Tsunade-san…?" What was Tsunade doing there?

"You're lucky Shisui-kun was there when you collapsed. He rushed you to the hospital. If he hadn't…"

"Shisui-san…" The events replayed in her mind. "I see… I was hoping that he wouldn't find out about this weakness. It will hurt him the most…"

"It's a miracle you've survived this long. I suggest you give up being a ninja. It's too much strain on your frail body."

Riku smiled, remembering that same blonde medic telling that to her foster mother. "Tsunade-san, how long do I have…?" she couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence.

"As a fellow medic, you should know yourself."

"I want your opinion."

"One week if you stop straining your body."

"That's the optimistic side," Riku replied.

Tsunade sighed. "Three or four days if you continue down this path."

"I feared as much…"

There was a knock on the door and the Hokage came in. "Riku-chan, how are you feeling?"

"Hokage-sama… could you tell Kakashi-sempai and Hyuuga-san to get everything together? We have to depart in the morning."

"What?! Riku-chan! You can't be serious! You're lucky that I was here! You would have…" Tsunade began, but trailed off as Riku shook her head.

"I cannot give up being a ninja. This village needs me so long as I can continue."

"If you continue to do this, you'll die!"

"I am very well aware of that, Tsunade-san. If I can somehow protect my village, I would gladly die for it than live with the fact that I had the chance yet didn't take it."

"Hokage-sama, surely you can't send her on a mission in this state!"

"Unfortunately, we have to. Most of this mission rests on her shoulders. Orochimaru will most likely go after Riku-chan, which would be good since the Soyokaze's secret technique can handicap Orochimaru. But, in the likelihood that he goes after the other two she can use her father's self-summoning technique."

"What…? She learned the Fourth's…?"

"After months of studying his scrolls, I have finally gotten it down. I can summon myself to a place where I am called, and summon reinforcements if necessary."

"How can you force such a mission on a girl who is dying?!" Tsunade yelled at her former teacher.

"Tsunade-san, I chose this path for myself… No one has forced me to do anything."

Tsunade couldn't take the conversation anymore. "Fine! I don't care anymore!" Tsunade stormed out of the room.

"Tsunade-san…"

"Don't mind her too much, Riku-chan. She really is concerned about your health. Your mother was her prized pupil."

"Yes…" She placed her hand on her chest. "Oh!" She pulled out a pouch from her pocket and spilled its contents into her hand. Inside the pouch had been a necklace with a crystal pendant. "I keep forgetting to give this back to her. Nami-san said that she wanted me to give this back to her. I was just worried that I might not be able to get it back to her before I… well, you know… Could you please give this to her for me?"

"Of course, Riku-chan."

"If I die on this mission, nothing will be suspected. No one will know that I was dying. Illness doesn't only affect the person with it, but those around him or her."

"Riku-chan, you should share the burden with those close to you or it will crush you."

"No, Hokage-sama. I can't do that. I can't burden other people. Why should I burden them with my problems? So it can crush them? No, I can't."

"Riku-chan, those around you are stronger than you think."

"Maybe you haven't noticed, but I have. If word of my illness spreads to one, it will continue to spread until the children hear about it. Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun wouldn't be able to take it."

"I noticed you made a connection with your little brother at last."

"Um-hm. I couldn't draw too much attention to him for fear that someone would suspect something, but when he— literally— runs into on the street, it made the connection possible without suspicion."

"I told you before that people wouldn't suspect a thing. They wouldn't know he was Arashi-kun's son unless you outright told them. That's the way most people are."

"Perhaps you're right…"

As if called, Naruto burst into the hospital room with an arm full of flowers. "Onee-san! I heard that you got food poisoning! I brought you some flowers!"

"Aww! Naruto-kun, that's so sweet!" She gave him a hug which Naruto protested to.

"Naruto, you little brat!" The florist ran into the room. Riku released Naruto. "You get back here with those flowe… Oh! Riku-chan! I'm sorry! I didn't know they were for you!"

"No, I'm sorry. I'll pay for the flowers if there's a problem…"

"Oh, no! I can't let you pay for your own flowers! That would be wrong! Please take them!" The florist continued to apologize as she left the hospital room.

"Naruto-kun, what was that about?" the Hokage asked.

"I asked to buy flowers and she refused to sell me flowers. I took some and left some money where I found them," Naruto explained defensively.

Hokage laughed. "You remind me of Riku-chan when she was still in the academy."

"Really?" Naruto grinned with pride.

"She was a bit clumsy, but she loved a good prank."

"What's wrong with a little bit of fun every once in awhile?" Riku smirked.

"Your father said the same exact thing to the people who would go complain about the trouble you made."

Riku laughed. "True." Riku got out of the hospital bed. "I should start heading home then." She took the flowers from Naruto with a smile and headed out the door, waving to the two of them as she went.

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When she got to her little apartment, she placed her flowers in a water filled vase and set it on her dining room table. Noticing her sandwich, she thought of Shisui. _Maybe I should tell him I'm alright._ Tsunade had not mentioned anything about what happened to Shisui. _Maybe she kicked him out?_ It would be something Tsunade would do.

Almost as if summoned, there was another knock on the door. She opened the door. "Hi, Shisui!"

"Riku-chan, I came to tell you something. This is very important, so please listen."

Riku was confused. "Of course…" She watched as Shisui closed the door behind him. She led him into the dining room, offering him a chair.

She knew there was something wrong because he started off with, "Riku-chan, I'm sorry…"

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	17. Chapter 17: Shisui's Farewell

Note: Sorry for the delay. I noticed quite recently that there is something wrong with my spell check so I decided to take a fine tooth comb to this chapter. What really annoys me is the fact that some characters don't show up in the published form, like the asterisk, or the greater than or less than signs. I didn't know that when I first started on my stories. I used to put asterisks to put a line in between for foot notes and stuff, and it didn't show up in the published form, which confused me, so I was reduced to putting in these dash-things.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Chapter 17: Shisui's Farewell

"I got word from Itachi that the monster is going to be out on a mission soon with the head of the Hyuuga clan and the Fourth's last remaining student. He didn't have any details, but he said she was being overly optimistic about how long it would take."

"Speaking of your eldest, where is he?"

"My son is gone as well…" Shisui's mother said cautiously.

"What are they doing?! They are the main part of the plan!"

"We can fill them in later. It's no big deal," Itachi's father said. "We're just reviewing what needs to be done. The armory is nearly full in stock. We'll be ready to strike on Friday."

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Uchiha Itachi

Itachi stood there silently, trying to take in what his best friend was telling him. "I told Riku-chan." Those words didn't sink in at first. Then, he realized that Shisui was talking about the Uchiha's plan to take over Konoha.

"They had Haruka-sensei killed for trying to warn the Hokage."

"I know, but I couldn't keep quiet anymore." Shisui paused. "Itachi, you weren't there at the last meeting because of your recent mission. They said that the Mangekyo Sharingan was necessary. They weren't going to sacrifice you or me, but they ordered me to kill Riku-chan so that I could develop the Mangekyo Sharingan." Without thinking, Itachi clenched his hand into a fist, fearing the worst for the third member of their team. Shisui laughed, which seemed out of place. "You like Riku-chan too, don't you, Itachi?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Where did he come up with that conclusion?

"Well, I guess I could be wrong." Shisui shrugged before continuing on with his story. "Anyways, I had resolved that I would kill Riku-chan… but when she collapsed in her apartment, I realized I would never be able to pull it off. When I heard she was released, I went to go visit her apartment again. That's when I told her…"

"What did she say?"

"She asked me why… How anyone even think of doing such a thing… and why I stood by them." Itachi's best friend wrung his hands nervously. "I told her they were my family. How could I go against them?"

"She didn't accept that?"

"She asked me why I could go against one part of my family but not the other. 'Konoha is one big family,' she said. 'Just because we aren't related by blood doesn't mean we aren't family.'"

Itachi felt guilty for thinking like he had. He could tell Shisui felt the same. They always had their families all their lives. Neither of them knew what it felt like to lose a family. Riku had lost hers twice. Now, the Uchiha would kill her family a third time. "It's too late… to turn back now…" Itachi murmured.

"Is it?" Shisui asked doubtfully. "Their plan rests on _us_. If we don't cooperate, their plan will fail. That's why I…" He trailed off. Then, he grinned. "I told Riku-chan my feelings for her."

Itachi didn't see where he was taking the conversation. "And…?"

"She turned me down. Riku-chan said she knew for some time, but she only thought of me as a brother, so she tried her best not to hurt my feelings… or so she said. It hurts being rejected."

"I see…" Truth was, Itachi felt relieved. He didn't know why. _Maybe because she turned him down nicely…?_ He knew that it wasn't it, but why else would he feel relieved? _"You like Riku-chan, too, don't you, Itachi?"_ No. He couldn't have possibly fallen for her. "There are other women, Shisui."

"No, Itachi. There is no other woman. She's the one I love. I can love none other."

"Shisui…"

"That's why… I'm leaving…"

"What?" Where would he be going, and why?

"I don't want to see her family… my family… be torn apart. I don't want to see Riku-chan dead. I don't want to have a hand in her death or the deaths of her family members. The Uchiha was wrong. This whole plot was wrong. For far too long Uchiha has only thought about themselves. Even before the creation of Konoha, the Uchiha have lived in privilege. We don't know how to think about other people. The ways of the Uchiha need to be changed… and for that to happen… a sacrifice needs to be made."

"A sacrifice? What are you talking about?"

"They need to feel the pain of losing someone dear to them, and I'll be the one to go…"

"Shisui?"

"In my bedroom, there are two notes. Make sure the one addressed to Riku-chan isn't read by anyone but Riku-chan… okay?"

"What do you mean? Give it to her yourself."

"Good-bye, Itachi. You were always… like a brother to me…" Shisui gave a sad smile. "It's too bad… I would have liked to live longer…" Shisui disappeared into a poof of smoke.

"Shisui?!" He had been speaking with a shadow clone. _"A sacrifice needs to be made."_ No, he couldn't be thinking that! _"I would have liked to live longer…"_ The realization of what he friend was about to do hit Itachi like a ten-ton brick. "SHISUI!" He roared. Itachi tried to locate Shisui, but he had no idea where to look. "SHISUI! ANSWER ME!" He screamed. He raced all over Konoha like a madman, trying to find his friend before it was too late, hollering for Shisui until his throat was raw and he couldn't even call out anymore.

Finally, Itachi collapsed on to his knees, sobbing. He didn't care if anyone saw him like that. Itachi couldn't find Shisui. His search had been fruitless from the beginning. _"You were always… like a brother to me…"_ "You idiot! You were like a brother to me, too…"

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Uchiha Shisui

Shisui walked across the lake water. When he finally got to the deepest part of the lake, he stopped and took a deep breath. He didn't want to die, but he felt that his death would be necessary. _For Riku-chan…_ he assured himself. He securely fastened the lead weighted backpack so that it wouldn't come off by accident. "Good-bye, Itachi. Good-bye, Riku-chan." He whispered before he plunged into the cold lake water…

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Uzumaki Riku

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she burst into the Hokage's office. "Riku-chan?! What's wrong?" The Hokage asked.

"I wish… I'm asking for permission to kill, sir."

"Wha…?"

"Please! Allow me to kill the Uchiha clan!" She cried.

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T.T

Shisui…

I hope I got most of the errors out… I sincerely apologize if I haven't...


	18. Chapter 18: A Sacrifice in Vain

Note: I really wish I could have kept Shisui… but he died in the original story… T.T

Anyways, here's Chapter 18!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 18: A Sacrifice in Vain

"Why do you wish to kill the Uchiha clan? I know it's not for revenge… Is it?"

"You _know_ why! You've known all along that the Uchiha were planning to start a civil war!"

The Hokage cringed. "Did Kakashi-kun tell you that?"

"I figured he was hiding something, so I tried to manipulate him like Nami-san used to do with Arashi-san. I just don't have the feminine charms for that… Shisui-san told me."

The Hokage was surprised. "One of them told you?"

"He told me it was going to take place Friday or Saturday depending on when they had enough weapons in stock."

"We never got a specific date…" Hokage admitted slowly.

"That's why, I'll kill them Thursday."

"What about your mission?"

"How can you think of that now?! We need to take action against the Uchiha before they get out of hand! Orochimaru can wait! Let _me_ handle the Uchiha clan."

He sighed heavily. "If you kill the Uchiha clan before they take action, _you_ will be considered the criminal. We have no proof that they will actually be taking action against Konoha."

"No proof!? Shisui-san laid out the entire plan for me! How the hell could that not be proof enough for you?!"

"Riku-chan, you're overreacting. We don't know. Maybe they'll change their minds."

"You're much too hopeful! We hoped that they would help defend Konoha when the Kyuubi attacked the village, but they refused! We gave them a second chance, and they threw it in our faces by doing this!"

_She _does_ have a point…_ The Hokage thought, grimly. "We still don't have hard evidence that there really is a threat. People would say that Shisui-kun could have made it up. Danzou will probably spread those rumors personally."

"He can rot in Hell for all I care! _You_ know the truth. _I _know the truth. This needs to be stopped _now_."

"Riku-chan…" Hokage didn't know how to convince Riku otherwise. She didn't understand. Konoha needed her. They couldn't possibly have their future Hokage a suspected traitor. The Hokage shook his head. "I can't let you do this. I'm saying this as your superior. You are not given permission to do this. We will have to wait for action to be taken. We'll inform the council and our most trusted officers to prepare for war if need be."

Riku glared at him and spun on her heel. She slammed the door behind him as she left.

The Hokage had feared she'd act like that, but he could understand why Shisui would tell her. Shisui had wanted to protect her, the woman he loved…

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Uzumaki Riku

Riku nearly ran Koharu and Homura, the Hokage's most trusted advisors, down when she left the Hokage's office. "Sorry, Koharu-san, Homura-san…" She murmured softly.

Riku turned to leave, but Koharu called out. "Riku-chan, wait."

Riku stopped. "Yes?" She sincerely hoped her eyes didn't look to bad. She had gone into the office, crying. It had been very painful to listen to what Shisui had been telling her.

"We think the Hokage was wrong in this matter. The Uchiha must be stopped at all costs. You are given permission to kill the Uchiha and all of their allies," Homura told her.

"But… the Hokage said…"

"Riku-chan, the Hokage didn't give you permission, but he didn't forbid it. _We_ are giving you permission," Koharu explained.

"I see." Riku closed her eyes and sighed with relief. "Thank you… I will do my best…" She bowed.

"That is all we ask for."

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Uchiha Itachi

Nothing had changed since the death of Itachi's best friend. The only difference was that people were staring at _him_ suspiciously. First they had the nerve to blame him of killing Shisui, and now this! "We will proceed as usual."

"What?!" Itachi gasped. "You can't be serious!"

"We still have one of our top protégées. It's too bad, but we can't bring him back. He can kill the monster to get the Mangekyo sharingan."

_I will _not_ put up with this anymore! _ Once again, his last team member's life was at stake. He lost Shisui. He couldn't lose Riku, too. "No! I won't cooperate. You'll have to kill me."

"Itachi!" His mother cried, surprised by his outburst.

His father glared him down. "You will obey my orders, or Sasuke's life will be in danger."

His father's words disgusted him. "You don't mourn for Shisui and you even take your own son hostage! What's wrong with you!?" Itachi was normally calm, but he was at his limit.

"Sasuke doesn't deserve to be called my son! That boy is such a slow learner even for an Uchiha! Now shut your mouth or he dies!"

Immediately, Itachi shut his mouth, but that didn't stop him from glaring death in his father's direction. "See, he does care about his brother after all!"

"How could he care about that brat? He is so stupid!"

Itachi turned his glare sharply on the cousin who spoke. He wished he could tear his throat apart. "This clan disgusts me…" It was the second time that day that he said those words. He remained quiet for the rest of the meeting and was the last one to go. He had kept his glare locked on his father for the entire meeting.

"Don't glare at me, Boy. It's for the best of the clan. If one is born lame, we kill them. This way is merciful."

"_Merciful_?" Itachi spat. "It's not merciful! It's cruel!"

"You'll understand when you're older, Itachi," his father told him, patting him on the shoulder.

_No. I will never understand you; not now, not ever._ Itachi thought venomously.

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	19. Chapter 19: The Deal

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Chapter 19: The Deal

Uzumaki Riku was surprised when she went down to the pond. Instead of finding Sasuke, who often went there to practice, she found Itachi standing at the end of the pier, staring into the water. "Itachi-san?" she called. Then she remembered her mission. _I'm going to have to kill this man_.

Itachi turned to look at her. "Oh, here." He handed her an envelope nonchalantly and then turned his attention back to the pond waters. "Shisui committed suicide here. They found his body at the bottom of the pond."

"Oh!" Riku was overcome with sadness. Shisui had been like a brother to her. The loss of him was painful, but she knew that if he hadn't done that, she would have had to be the one to kill him.

"Read it. That's the note Shisui told me specifically to give to you."

She opened up the letter and read it, silently shedding tears. "He says his death will stop the Uchiha clan… did it?"

"No."

"Then… what do you plan on doing?"

"I have to go along with their demands. They're holding my brother hostage."

"What?! One of their own? That's insane!"

"I know. Father said that Sasuke was worthless."

"But… he just told Sasuke-kun the other day that he was proud of him! Sasuke-kun told me himself."

"It seems that his words don't match what he really thinks."

"That's so cruel!" She felt nothing but loathing for Sasuke's and Itachi's father. "And your mother is just going along with this? How can she allow her husband to do something like that to Sasuke-kun?"

"Beats me," Itachi grumbled.

"Shisui-san asked me to leave the village… just in case…"

"Do you plan on leaving?"

"I cannot abandon my family, Itachi-san."

"I see… Then there's nothing that can change your mind?" Itachi's question felt more like a statement. When Riku didn't reply, he said. "I guess that makes us enemies."

Riku's resolve wavered. "You leave. Take Sasuke-kun with you. Thursday morning, I… will wipe out the existence of the Uchiha clan."

Itachi was surprised. "Riku?"

"If you take Sasuke-kun with you, they have no hostage to hold against you."

"It won't work, Riku. The Uchiha clan cannot be killed by one lone ninja. If they trusted you…"

"I can do it. With the techniques my mother passed on to me, I can defeat the Uchiha clan. They will remember why they once feared the Soyokaze clan. They were lucky that a plague nearly destroyed the clan, otherwise they would have been wiped out from existence long ago."

Itachi looked her over carefully. "You're not lying, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

Itachi nodded. "I will think over what you said… but I can't make any guarantees. Sasuke wouldn't understand."

"If need be, I will tear out my own heart and become a true ninja. I will kill both of you if you do not leave." She left with that warning, leaving the decision to Itachi. She knew well that she could have jeopardized her own mission, but she knew he wouldn't tell. He, too, had something they wished to kill: his precious brother.

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Uchiha Itachi

Itachi lingered at the pond a little longer, thinking about what Shisui did and also pondering about what _he_ should do. Deciding to think it over at home, Itachi started back. Sasuke nearly plowed him over. "Ah! Onii-san!"

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"Yeah, I'm running a bit late… Onii-san, is it alright if I hang out with Riku-nee-san after school? She promised to show me a new technique. I want to make Father happy. He told me he was proud of me when I showed him the Fireball Jutsu!"

_He doesn't mean it…_ Itachi thought. He couldn't ruin his brother's hopes. Not yet. "Sasuke, what would you do if someone threatened to hurt Riku?" He wanted to know how Sasuke would react.

"I'd kill them!" Sasuke growled.

"Even if they were…?"

"Onii-san?" Sasuke waited for Itachi to finish, but Itachi couldn't bring himself to finish the question.

"Never mind."

Sasuke gave him a confused look, wanting to ask his brother more, but not knowing how to do so. "Okay…? Mom said that you were going to pick me up from school, but could you tell them that I'm staying after? This way I can practice ninjutsu with Riku-nee-san!"

"Of course, Sasuke."

"Yay! Thanks, Onii-san!" Sasuke sped off, excited.

_He wouldn't be so happy if he knew…_ Itachi didn't want to be the one to tell Sasuke, _"Her clan and our clan have been warring since the brink of time."_ His parents would be horrified to learn that their sons were both attached to the last remaining member of the Soyokaze clan.

"Hello, – what was your name again? — Itachi?"

Itachi spun around to face the person who was speaking to him. "Who are you?!" Itachi realized immediately that the speaker was not a villager. From the way they were dressed, he had to assume the speaker was from Hiding-in-Mist.

"I'm pretty sure you've heard of me before. I'm Mandara."

Itachi glowered. "You are well known in the Uchiha clan. Your name was written in stone to remind us all of the effects of greed."

Mandara snorted. "Look who's talking! The Uchiha clan now wants to do what I attempted to do almost a century ago!"

Itachi was surprised by the amount of the man's information. "I don't know who told you that, but I can assure you, it won't happen."

"No…" Mandara sneered. "It won't happen. I offered your little girlfriend my help in killing the Uchiha clan, but as you can see, she's not about to take up that offer. She thinks that her silly little tricks can take down the almighty Uchiha clan!"

"She can do it."

"Perhaps… Did you know she's prepared to make herself a criminal over this?" Mandara asked. "The village has no solid evidence that the Uchiha will rebel. I was going to offer my help and take the blame for their deaths, but she would be my pawn to help destroy the village."

"She'd never go for it," Itachi retorted.

"No, that's why I'm extending my offer to you."

"What makes you think I'd help you?"

"Well, it would save your girlfriend the trouble of becoming an outlaw and you'd be free. You wouldn't have to be tied down by anything. Just think of it! No rules, no regulations! You could do anything your heart desired. Best of all, you wouldn't have to worry about your brother being held hostage."

"Except I'd have to be your pawn." Itachi was tempted, but there was a big setback.

"You'd be able to protect your girlfriend…" Mandara taunted.

_Riku…_ Yes, he'd be able to protect Riku and Sasuke. "Fine, I'll take you up on your offer."

"Good, good! Let's kill them now so that we won't have your girlfriend or your brother in the way," Mandara laughed. That laughter made Itachi wonder… what kind of deal did he get himself into?

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	20. Chapter 20: The Betrayal

Note: This chapter is a little lengthy. And yes, I know it's a little different than what was shown from Sasuke's memories in the manga.

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Naruto

Chapter 20: The Betrayal

It was slaughter, really. They were taken by surprise. Never had they expected to be attacked by an insider. They trusted him, and that became their downfall.

Itachi didn't enjoy it at all. He knew he would have nightmares about that day later. Each death made him feel like crying. It helped if he struck them from behind. He was afraid his resolve would waver if he looked them in the eyes and saw the terror and the hurt.

Sasuke and Riku were the most important people in the world to Itachi and his own family endangered them. They had to stop… this was the only way to stop them… He kept telling himself that over and over again, but it never made his burden any lighter.

Itachi saved his own parents for last. Itachi still loved his heartless parents, so he made a request from Mandara, "Let me be the one to kill them."

Mandara only shrugged. "Go ahead," Mandara said, gesturing for the door. "I will wait outside."

Itachi's parents were deep in conversation. "Look at that!" His mother exclaimed excitedly, showing his father a sheet of paper. "Sasuke got a 100 on his exam!"

Itachi felt pride for his brother. Sasuke had always gotten an average score on his exam. This was a great improvement. No doubt, Riku must have helped him study. Back in school, she failed all her assignment due to lack of interest, but she always aced the exams.

"Oh, please! He probably just cheated!" Itachi felt a twinge of anger. _Sasuke's trying very hard to get your approval and this is what you give him?!_

"Darling, you know that's not true! Why are you being so harsh on Sasuke! He made a Fireball bigger than Itachi did just two days ago!"

"We shouldn't get too attached to him. You know the past of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke will be Itachi's eyes when the time comes."

"You don't know that!"

"Itachi has already killed his best friend! What's to stop him from killing his own brother?"

"You held _our son_ hostage and Itachi gave in to your demands! That's enough proof! I'd rather have Sasuke take over as head after you pass than Itachi! Itachi scares me sometimes! Especially with how quiet he is!" Itachi knew his mother favored his brother, despite what she told him. He often heard his mother complaining to his neighbors about how "creepy" her eldest son was.

"I know… but Itachi is strong and smart despite that. Sasuke is too flawed."

"Darling…" Itachi couldn't take anymore of the conversation.

"Goodbye, Mother, Father…" He whispered, cutting down his father first. His mother screamed in terror. _Don't turn around!_ He begged silently. _Don't turn around!_ He was going to strike down his mother before she could turn, but his father staggered to his feet and protected his wife with his body, taking another stab in the back. His father died this time, toppling over onto his wife, pinning her to the ground. He saw her face. _ Not good!_ Itachi raised his sword to stab his mother through the chest before he could think to do otherwise, but there was an interruption.

"Mother…? Father…?" Itachi hadn't expected Sasuke to be back so soon.

"Sasuke! Don't come in here!" His mother screamed before Itachi's blade found her chest. _Don't worry, Mother, I would never harm Sasuke…_

Sasuke's curiosity had gotten the better of him, causing Sasuke to open the door. _Stupid, you don't enter a house when you know there's a chance that there's a killer inside! _Itachi thought, watching Sasuke slowly and cautiously walk into their house.

"Mother! Father!" Sasuke cried, immediately noticing his parents on the floor. He didn't know how to deal with Sasuke. Should he make Sasuke flee or should he leave Sasuke seemingly on the brink of death. Sasuke's lips trembled, noticing his older brother. "Onii-san… who did this?"

"Stupid little brother." He threw a shuriken, nicking Sasuke's neck.

"Onii-san…?" Terror flooded Sasuke's eyes, realizing he had been betrayed. "Why…?"

"To test how strong I have become."

"Just for that?! You killed our parents just for that!" Sasuke charged at him with teary eyes.

It was so easy. Itachi kicked Sasuke in the stomach, knocking his brother down. "I'll show you what I did." Itachi changed his eyes into the Mangekyo sharingan, the one he had gained when he learned of Shisui's death. _It seems you don't need to kill your best friend after all; you just need to feel the loss... _Itachi had realized when his brother had asked him about what it took to get the second sharingan. Itachi had made Sasuke promise not to tell his mother or father that he saw that Itachi had it. It had been a great effort to keep from changing his eyes to the new sharingan when he was angry. It seemed to be triggered by his emotions when he wasn't careful.

Itachi used Tsukiyomi, the Nightmare Realm, first developed by Mandara ages ago. It had been written down in the Uchiha history as a genjutsu technique. He wasn't all that good at genjutsu, but he learned some from watching Riku and the Mangekyo sharingan amplified his powers and abilities.

Using this eye, he showed Sasuke what he had done. Of course, he left out Mandara. _Let him think they died at my hands…_ Sasuke screamed in terror. "Why are you showing me this?! I don't want to see this!" _But I do. Look at my guilt. Tell me you hate me. Tell me you want me to die._

Sasuke collapsed onto the floor, sobbing. He noticed how close Itachi was to him and he was afraid. "I don't want to die!" Sasuke got up, stumbling a bit, and then raced for the door. Itachi followed his brother more slowly, hoping Sasuke would run away so that it would look like he had escaped. There was a problem with that: Sasuke tumbled and fell.

It pained Itachi to do it, but his motive was suspicious enough as it was. He needed it to look like he had attempted to kill Sasuke, but didn't manage the killing blow. "Good-bye, Sasuke."

"RIKU-NEE-SAN! HELP ME!" Sasuke shrieked, putting his arms in front of his face, as if that could protect him.

Itachi brought down his sword, prepared to cut his own brother, but there was a flash of crimson, and a sword came up to block his own. "Sasuke-kun! Run!" Sasuke took that moment and ran, eyes streaming tears.

"Riku…" They wouldn't suspect anything if he ran from her. No, she was on equal footing with him.

"Itachi-san, what have you done…?" Riku asked, horror etched in her eyes.

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Uzumaki Riku

Riku looked at the massacre that Itachi had created. She knew that she was planning on doing the same to them… but why would Itachi…? He had no reason to fight and kill his own people.

"To test my strength," was the answer she got.

"Liar!" She snapped. She knew it was a lie. It was written all over his face.

"Silly girl, do you need a reason to kill? Don't you like killing people? It gives you a certain power over them." She recognized that voice to be the voice of her would-be assassin. She turned to face him, but not before seeing Itachi cringe. It was obvious that he didn't want Riku to see his accomplice.

"So you've finally moved on from stalking me to seducing my team mate?"

"Technically, I wasn't stalking you. I was just following you around, waiting for you to take action, but I found another gem. This man will bend to my wish and desire. Why? Because he has a weak spirit!"

"Mandara, what are you doing here?" Itachi asked. "Let me take care of Riku."

"No, I won't let you have all the fun. I want to be the one to crush the last of the 'dreaded' Soyokaze clan."

"I thought we agreed that she's not to be harmed!"

"When ever did I say that? She hinders my plan to destroy Konoha. She must be killed immediately."

Itachi stepped back. Riku immediately realized something was wrong. "What did you do to him?!" She demanded.

"Just a little genjutsu. He'll recover when I finish you."

"I won't lose; not when my family is at stake."

"You can't even hit me, much less defeat me." Mandara laughed.

"What makes you say that I can't?" She rapidly formed seven seals.

"Genjutsu won't work, nor will ninjustsu."

"This technique is neither of those." She ended by biting her thumb and placing her hand on the ground. "Soyokaze secret technique! Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Next to Riku, a woman with jade green hair and matching eyes appeared. Other than her hair, she looked exactly like Riku. _I guess this is my limit…_ Her illness had weakened her to this extent?

"Summoning reinforcements? That's the Soyokaze's secret technique?!" Mandara laughed mockingly.

"No, the technique is much more than that."

"Daughter, have you decided your path?"

"_Riku, my dear, one day you will choose what path the Soyokaze will take. Will we be the enemy of this land or will we be the ultimate ally?" Her mother placed the question before Riku like a riddle._

"_Mother, I don't understand… What do you mean?"_

"_You are the future of my clan, Riku. You will know what I mean in time."_

Now Riku understood what her mother had meant. "Yes, Mother, I have chosen this path. We will protect Konoha and its interests."

"You have summoned the dead? It is an illegal technique."

"The Soyokaze clan could summon their ancestors in battle. I haven't resurrected them; I have merely summoned their souls from the world beyond."

"Do not waste your breath on this man, Riku. You know better than anyone else your limit."

"Yes. The time for talk has ended. Now is the time for battle."

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I decided to cut it off there because I'm running behind as it is... I will continue on to the next chapter soon.


	21. Chapter 21: The End of Soyokaze

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Note: Final chapter! (Finally getting around to posting it...) Enjoy!

Chapter 21: The End Of Soyokaze

Riku and Risa faced off against the man who threatened Riku's life, her home, her family, and her country. The face-off lasted for a mere matter of seconds before Riku drew her sword and charged. Mandara smirked and just stood there, confident that her attack would be useless.

Mandara failed to even notice Risa's movements. Risa circled behind Mandara, cutting off his escape route if he were to try to escape Riku's attack. Mandara let out a yelp in shock as Riku's sword sliced open his arm. "How...?" He stared. He tried to dodge the next blow, but Risa slipped her arms underneath his, pinning him in place. "This isn't possible...!"

"Of course it is," Risa murmured. "The Soyokaze were one of few clans that still practiced the art of contacting the dead. We we always the closest to the world beyond. It's no wonder our techniques, our weapons, our bodies can interact with a ghost. That's what you are, aren't you?"

He twisted just enough to avoid getting his skull sliced open. Mandara screamed in pain as Riku sliced open his left eye. "This is good-bye, bane of this land!" Riku pulled back, prepared to drive her sword through his black heart.

Riku felt a sharp pain in her gut. She cried out in shock, blade slipping from her numb hands, knees buckling. "NO!" Risa cried.

Mandara chuckled and then burst out laughing as Risa disappeared. "What's the matter, girl?" he sneered. "I kept a card up my sleeve just in case."

Riku glanced down at the blade in her stomach. Her gaze shifted from the blade to the hilt to the hand and then finally to Itachi's face. His expression told her he was just as shocked as she was at his betrayal. "Itachi..." Her eye sight was starting to get blurry. _Not good!_ She looked longingly at her sword trying to muster the strength to grab it and thrust it into Mandara's laughing face.

"You caught me off guard, but now that I can see what you do, I am assured that I chose right by eliminating you. With you out of the way, nothing can stop me!" He sneered down at her. "I'll let you two say your final farewells; after all, I can trust Itachi to fully join me now that you are out of the way." Riku wanted to demand that he clarify that. What did she have to do with Itachi's decision? But the word never came.

"Riku! Riku! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'll get you to a medic right away!" Itachi's panicked voice snapped her out of her daze.

She managed a smile just for him. "Itachi-sa..." She coughed up blood. She paused and tried again. "I don't blame you."

"_I _do!"

"He used strong genjutsu, Itachi-san... Don't hate yourself... please?"

Itachi said nothing. She knew nothing she said would change his mind. "I have to get you to a medic."

"No, Itachi-san. As a medic, I know this wound is fatal. It would take a god to be able to reverse this."

"Don't say that!" Itachi begged. "I won't let you die!" She felt warm tears splatter on her face.

"Itachi-san..." She propped herself on her elbows, ignoring the searing pain in her gut. She kissed him on the cheek. "Look after Konoha for me when I'm gone. You can't do it from the inside, but you can watch over it from afar."

Itachi stared at her wide-eyed. "No, Riku, I can't-"

"Itachi-san, you will no longer be welcomed here as a result of the Uchiha massacre, but I can tell you did this for a good reason-"

"No I didn't!" Itachi cried. "I did it for..." he trailed off.

"Itachi-san... please stay alive. Even if it is the last thing you do. Live. For me, for Sasuke, and for Shisui..."

Itachi stared down at her for a moment longer before saying, "I'll live. I'll kill that venomous snake!" His eyes twisted. She had seen his sharingan eye before, but these eyes were new to her. They seemed to take the pain away. Riku stared fascinated into his eyes. "If it's the last thing I do, I'll avenge you."

As much as she didn't want to hear about vengeance, if it kept him alive it was good. Vengeance kept hurting people, but she didn't have a care in the world for the rest of the world at that moment. Her only thoughts were of Itachi, a man who was like a brother to her, and her village, the rest of her family. "Itachi-san..." She numbly used her hand, dipping it in her own blood and summoned the rest of her energy. From her blood, she brought forth a small scroll. Riku handed it to Itachi. "This is the Soyokaze secret scroll. The moment I die, it will accept you as my successor."

Itachi stared at her, confused. "I can't take that!"

"You must. Either learn our secrets, or burn it. It can be brought forth with the blood of the Soyokaze successor unless the successor has designated another successor or destroyed the scroll. I don't want Danzo or that Uchiha ghost to get their hands on it."

"Then I'll burn it."

Riku ignored him and continued, "It contains our art of summoning the successors before us and some of the ways we used to contact with our dead." Itachi froze in temptation. She could see it in his face. "You could learn how to affect ghosts."

There was the clattering sound of feet on the path. "Go!" Riku whispered.

"Not without you! I'll take you to a healer. Tsunade-sama could fix this," he said, indicating her wound.

"No, Itachi-san. You go."

"I can't leave you behind."

"You must! Go now!" She pleaded. Riku saw the pain in his eyes as she said it. "GO!" She shoved him as hard as her weak limbs would allow. He stumbled, stared at her for one final moment, and fled.

"Riku-chan!" Kakashi's voice sounded in her ear as she driffed off.

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Riku woke up on a hospital bed hearing voices in her ears. "I'm trying my best, Kakashi-kun, but I can't save her." Riku recognized that voice belonging to the blond medic, Tsunade.

"I can't watch another comrade die before my eyes!"

"Then go! You're disturbing her. You should let her get her final moments in peace."

"Sempai...?" Riku asked tentatively. Her eyes fluttered open.

"I'm here, Riku-chan." Kakashi peered down into her face, worried.

"Kakashi-sempai, please... look after my brothers..." She managed to whisper before she died.

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Itachi stood over the gate leading from Konoha. He could feel Riku's presence as he stood there watching the sunrise. This day he would begin a new life. He had failed at protecting Riku, but he wouldn't fail to protect his brother. That he promised himself. He thought back on his plan to protect Riku and Sasuke from his own family. _Of all the best plans of mice of men..._ His plan was ruined.

If he had killed his heart and become a perfect ninja... No. He couldn't have done it, but not from lack of trying. It had been proven time and time again that ninjas were all too human...

Itachi waited until the sun was half way into the sky before he said, "Riku, Shisui, I'm leaving for now, but I'll be back. I promise you. Riku, I'll protect Konoha for you. Even death won't stop me from fulfilling this promise."

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Thank you for all of those who have read my story. Sorry about the delays. I'm pretty sure I've made many people angry by not being consistent on time and I, once again, apologize.


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